Beatrice Book III: The Ties That Bind
by Ben Alexander
Summary: When Beatrice's new husband, Matthew disappears one night, she sets out on her most dangerous journey yet to both find him, and find the missing second half of the prophecy... and when she does, she'll find that it alters all of her previous beliefs.
1. A New Life

**Beatrice  
****Book III:  
The Ties That Bind**

_Chapter 1: A New Life_

Through the extremely cold and balmy air of night, I lay in bed shivering and trembling. I simply could not sleep tonight, and although it rarely bothered me, the gentle snoring coming from my sleeping companion, Matthew simply was not helping me along to the semi-unconsciousness that I associated with sleep.

_How I hate this cursed night, _I thought, almost worried, as Matthew stirred in his sleep, without waking; a sleeping habit I had grown quite accustomed to-- _How I hate _any _night, _I realized.

And this thought was absolutely true.

Although nearly three months had gone by since my successful reincarnation, it, and just about everything that had led up to it was still continuing to haunt me; causing sleepless nights a plenty, as well as long sits during days in which I lamented over it all… I had changed once again because of everything that had happened in D'Nalge… I felt more adult. More mature; I now realized the full extent of the notion that I was growing up. I was not a child anymore, and there were many decisions to be made.

Matthew provided a great comfort for me, but lately, he had taken to getting up right in the middle of the night, and leaving me all alone for days on end while he continued whatever task he had been given by REHtoMna in secret without me.

And upon his return, whether it was twelve in the morning or in the afternoon-- whenever I would inquire about his disappearances, he would just tell me that his whereabouts during them were required to remain in secret for now-- it was simply 'too dangerous,' as he called it to reveal these said 'secrets,' and as always, the lack of information was driving me simply mad.

I heaved a heavy sigh, and rolled over onto my side. Thank God Matthew was here with me tonight… It made things much easier, in a way; at least I did not have to sit up all night worrying about his wellbeing wherever he was-- or the strange sounds that seemed to come along with finally having a place of your own… As long as my Matthew was with me, I _was _safer-- or at least I _felt _safer… I wasn't sure which.

I played with the stone that hung around me neck, and smiled as it glowed warmly; providing light in the pitch-black darkness that filled the room; _At least you will try to keep me safe, _I reckoned, holding it up to my lips, and kissing it-- almost as if to seal the deal, _I only wish that Elaine or REHtoMna would have told me of your properties, _I sighed. I certainly had been kept in the dark about such matters-- I snorted. Maybe it was for my own 'safety.' That was a laugh. Hadn't REHtoMna told me that safety could never be fully assured, and yet she was making me stay put? It was _so _very hypocritical that it made me sick with disbelief.

Whatever, it didn't really matter anyway. I was moving on… Matthew and I had rented a nice little apartment overlooking the sea… I had fallen in love with the place at first glance, and although at nearly a thousand bucks a month, the price was pretty steep, money was no problem, as Elaine had arranged for there to be more whenever it was needed. The complex was far away enough from my previous home; nearly two thousand miles away, so I rarely thought of the place. It was actually comforting for me…

The crashing of the waves upon the shore certainly was a beautiful sound; I had always loved it, and if I concentrated on it long and hard enough, I usually would be able to shut nearly everything out that was troubling me--

But not tonight.

Tonight, I could not shut out the outside world so easily-- This could be accomplished by sleep alone which simply would not come to me this evening… I was too busy trying to think about everything that had happened to us again; I needed to shut my thoughts out, and get some good rest, after having not slept for a grand total of three nights in a row. Sure I was tired, but sometimes, no matter how tired you are, you just can't get to sleep. That's how I was at the moment; I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't.

That's how I got sometimes, and there wasn't any way to change that.

I sighed for a second time, and glanced over towards the other side of the bed simply to make sure that Matthew was still there, and had not left again, especially as he had taken to leaving so suddenly and so quickly without warning that it would not have surprised me in the least to find the space beside me empty once again; altogether deprived of his sleeping form.

Thank God once again he was still there, for you see, Matthew is a terrific guy, but he can be the _hugest _asshole sometimes for no reason whatsoever.

The apartment seemed to shake gently, and I felt a great tensing form in my stomach. _Who's watching us? _I wondered, but then it stopped just as suddenly as it had begun. I sighed; _I guess it was a dream or something… _I told myself as my heart continued to race, _It's okay, Beatrice-- it could have been a slight earthquake or something-- nothing to panic about… You're just being tense. Besides, Matthew didn't even wake up…_

_But that shaking is just like--_

_Shut up, Beatrice-- It's not the same. Just _shut up.

I laughed all of my uneasiness away, and glanced at the glowing green alarm on my bedside table; it was already nearing four in the morning. It was pretty much useless trying to fall asleep anymore…

I tossed the blankets from off of me, and glanced at the large mirror that hung in our bedroom; for some odd reason, it was steadily glowing, _"Beatrice…" _a strange voice was echoing from the other side-- _Other side? _I thought, _How is there an other side…?_

I stared at the mirror; trying my best not to lose my head, "Go away," I whispered, gently, "whoever you are… _Leave!"_

The voice ceased its whispering, and after a few moments of debating whether or not to wake Matthew, and alert him to these strange occurrences, I decided not to, and to leave the bedroom instead; headed for the kitchen. I closed the bedroom door, having decided to keep myself busy by making something for our morning breakfast, as I had nothing better to do, and obviously would not be sleeping in on this fine Saturday morning.

I entered our small, neat kitchen, and flicked on the light switch so that the room was instantly thrown into a yellow and heavenly glow.

I smiled at the task ahead of me, and started a pot of coffee.

Nothing strange, supernatural, or eerie had happened to me in quite a while, and one thing was for sure now: I seriously needed to take my mind off of things.

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Nearly an hour and a half later, breakfast was finished, and with no sign of Matthew waking any time soon, I decided to throw our breakfast back into the oven to keep warm for him, and sat in front of the table with a large mug of black coffee between my trembling hands; nearly burning them, but I paid no attention to it.

I sipped the dark bitter liquid, and nearly spat it out, as it entered my mouth; I had never been much of a 'black coffee' person… I just didn't particularly enjoy the flavor, although both my mother and father had when they had still been alive.

But, black coffee, so loaded with caffeine is all that I can drink after having had experienced a night of unwanted sleeplessness; if coffee is lightened up with sugar and milk it only causes more sleepiness…

As I continued to choke down the steaming coffee, my thoughts returned to all of the worlds that I had recently returned from…

Elaine had not been keeping in touch lately, and I had extremely strong suspicions that she was still 'watching over me,' although she was too stupid to realize that she should actually contact me to reassure me that she wasn't abandoning me or anything.

I was so angry because I had practically been cut off from her, as well as the Queen… However, I also suspected that Matthew was somehow connected to all of this as well

He had been so utterly affected by all that had happened to both of us in D'Nalge that I feared that--

"Beatrice?" he whispered, interrupting my troubled thoughts, as he entered the kitchen-- I had not even noticed our bedroom door opening again, "Did you make breakfast?" he was grinning now-- not grumpy or upset as he usually was during the morning time.

I nodded, and the two of us began to eat.


	2. Moonlit Stroll

_Chapter 2: Moonlit Stroll_

Days turned to weeks, which in turn soon became lengthy months.

I busied myself with starting my brand-new life; attempting to move on from the past-- I had legally changed my name to avoid anyone recognizing the name _Beatrice Horowitz, _and immediately launching into their thoughts on my sanity or lack thereof. Changing my name _was _a form of running, and yet it wasn't. Here I was… It wasn't like I had moved out of the country… I was just exhausted of that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I heard people asking, _"The _Beatrice Horowitz?"

Life had been difficult for Matthew as well; we had had to give him an identity on earth, so that he actually existed as an acknowledged human being.

Nearly an entire year had passed, when nearing my twenty-first birthday; I paused in the busy hoi polloi of life to think once again about my past. After all, I couldn't just forget it, and pretend as if it had never existed… _That _was simply ridiculous.

As I had vowed, I had indeed kept myself busy this past year; by reading books, and burying myself in schoolwork once again for the first time since high-school. Matthew's disappearances had started to occur more and more frequently, and had begun to last for longer periods of time.

I had at last been able to begin to accept the notion that although we were an extremely close couple, Matthew had his own things to do in life for the Queen-- he had set upon his own journey, in a way, and for now, I simply could not be a part of it. It was unnerving, but it simply was.

I put down the soft cover copy of _Emma _I was required to read for my World Literature Class, and stared at the clock on the wall; it was nearing midnight, and the beach was calling to me… _again; _as it had been for many nights in a row. I stared out at it, my eyes drifting away from the now blurring text, wishing that it would simply shut up, but it wouldn't.

So, I turned off the small reading lamp I had been using as a light source, and stood up from the mirror I had been using as a reading spot… If worse came to worse, and I couldn't sleep again tonight, I would still be able to finish _Emma _tomorrow before class; _Less than thirty pages, _I reckoned, wrapping a worn jacket of Matthew's over my trembling shoulders, as it would be quite cold out there tonight-- I could already tell by the fogged-up glass that made up the windows. As if having a mind of their own, my bare feet slipped into equally worn tennis shoes, and quickly ran out of the apartment; locking the door behind me, and then down the stairs, and onto the small stretch of beach that I loved so.

Breathing in the sweet fragrance of the sea-air, I smiled, and began the walk that I took each and every evening.

_Where is Matthew now? _I wondered; imagining him in a far-off land, as a particularly angry wave crashed upon the shore; gently spraying me with sea-water.

I shivered, and continued to walk, as what I had tried not to think of for months entered my mind once again; the way I had been entirely cut off from the world of the faerie-- in which the Queen, REHtoMna ruled-- the world to which I had somehow belonged to…

_Maybe Elaine has decided to just abandon me… _I thought, kicking at the sand beneath my feet, _She would, too… She always did seem to be more of a hindrance than a help, _I laughed, gaily, trying to clear my mind, and then promptly stopped myself-- that wasn't _exactly _true; Elaine wasn't _always _useless. She _had _sent me home from D'Nalge the first time, after all-- I had to give her some credit for that. But then again, in recent times, she simply had not been there for me, and that caused the bitter resentment that I now felt towards her. She had basically not even given me a good explanation of everything that had been happening around me, and had not even said a proper goodbye during the period of uncertainty before my reincarnation.

And it was absolutely true. Where had Elaine been in D'Nalge the second time, and why hadn't she contacted me in the last eleven months, and told me where Matthew was during his long disappearances, and the reason I was not allowed to go with him? I was confident that it wouldn't be _too _difficult. After all, she _was _a magical being-- although she was now a spirit.

And then, the Queen's words echoed in my mind from that day that now seemed so very long ago: _'His journey is far too difficult for a woman to take up.'_

So, that was it?

_That _was the reason why I could not travel alongside the love of my life to distant worlds? Because of the fact that I was a _woman?_

Well, the mystery was certainly cleared up now… I simply was not _strong _enough to join him, although Elaine had told me that I was countless times before in the past-- but then again, maybe she had been lying to me; trying to give me some false hope that the prophecy was going to work out for the better-- and then another strong blow had come to me, when I had learned that it turned out that the prophecy I had heard was only half of what existed. There was more out there… somewhere, and I still did not know the relevance to my life; was that what Matthew was searching for during these long trips…?

It was just so absolutely stupid. Yes, Matthew was a man and all that junk, but did that have to necessarily mean that he was more "cut out" for whatever journey or quest REHtoMna had given him…? Absolutely not, and all the same, they had acted as if I was simply too inept to join him. Fuck them then. Where had they been lately…? They sure as hell had not been alongside me! That was for damn sure.

I, myself was suddenly taken aback by my harsh thoughts. I was being ridiculous, after all, and I was thinking and behaving like a child, but all the same…

"I need you, Elaine," I whispered, but all that answered me was the howling winds that were coming in from the east, "I need you," I begged.

But she did not come.

She did not come, and she probably never would again.

I sighed, and continued walking. I missed Matthew greatly, and I wished that he could hold me in his arms, and make the world go away-- if only for a little while-- but then again, I was still deeply angry with him for disappearing on me once again with no warning…

But if he was with me, at least I'd be able to forget.

I sighed for a second time, now wondering what time it was, while I looked out into the dark ocean, _"Beatrice…"_ the waves seemed to be whispering as they gently crashed upon the shore, _"Beatrice…"_

I shivered; wondering what could possibly be calling may name-- and then the dreadful thought entered my mind; _Could it be a shas--?_

No.

It couldn't be…

Why would they wait nearly a year only to just show up again on earth?

They were too smooth-- no, too _cunning _to wait. Had they the intentions to show up once again on the earth, it would have been _ages _ago…

I was safe.

I _had _to be safe…

But, it was also true that no matter how safe I felt, I never was _truly _safe…

No one was ever safe.

"_Beatrice…" _the-- whatever it was continued to whisper, and I suddenly remembered that there had been another time-- these midnight whispers had occurred once before from the other side of the mirror. _You're just imagining things, _I told myself, _Just go home, and get some rest-- that's all you need…_

"I'm not scared of you," I hissed at the sea, and then, I turned around, and began walking back home.


	3. Argument and Engagement

_Chapter 3: Argument and Engagement_

Days continued to fall off of the calendar quite quickly, and before I knew it, my twenty first birthday came and went without Matthew's return to safety-- or at least his return back to me, for safety was non-existent-- or at least that's what I had been told.

I sat at the mirror, combing my hair. I had never missed him this much before-- but then again, he had never actually been gone for such a long amount of time…

As I slowly pulled the silver comb through my dark hair, I wondered why Matthew had remained away for so long-- was he hurt? Was he in trouble? Had he found the second half of the prophecy, deemed me too dangerous to remain with, and decided then and there to never return again?

No.

He would not have abandoned me; had the second half of the prophecy stated that I was dangerous to anyone who came into close contact with me, he would have returned, and remained with me forever. Matthew was not the type to run from danger… he was the type to simply embrace it, and work to change it forever.

I pulled the beautiful comb from out of my hair, and gently lay it down on my bureau, as Matthew had given it to me a few months before. I was going mad with boredom-- I wanted to get out of the apartment, and go somewhere to take Matthew off of my mind, but I simply could not feel secure going out by myself. If Matthew--

A knock came at the door-- it was him. I knew it!

I stood up from my seat at the mirror, and ran out of the bedroom, into the hallway, and immediately opened the door to reveal Matthew on the other side, clutching a bouquet of wildflowers from some distant world, "You're home!" I screamed, taking the flowers as he stepped inside, and then embracing him, "Thank God you're home."

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Everything was perfect now. There was no need of any fear, worry, or resentment. Matthew was with me now, and as long as we were together, we were one…

I don't know what it was about him; his eyes, the way he looked at me as we kissed-- Everything about him comforted me; made me feel wonderful-- _whole _again. But still, there was something amiss. He was acting different lately; he would not look directly into my eyes, and he would not hold my hand as often as he usually did.

After a few days of this overly strange behavior, I decided to question him.

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He held me close as we overlooked the sea from a safe part on the cool sand that kept us dry, although we were still freezing our asses off. "I wish it could be like this forever," I whispered, and he nodded, and held me closer to him. I could feel his warm chest slowly rising and falling… It was comfortable. I loved him so, and although he had not told me-- for he never did, I somehow sensed that our time together was once again limited. So, it was time; it was now or never, "Matthew," I whispered, gently pulling away from him, and hugging my shivering shoulders tightly, "Why do I keep on having the feeling that you're keeping something from me-- when you're away from me, I mean."

"I cannot say," he replied, gently.

I sighed, exasperatedly, "Matthew. It's not right. I hate the fact that you're keeping things from me… Why can't you just tell me the truth instead of leaving me here in the dark whenever you're gone? I've no warning whatsoever whenever you leave. It's driving me absolutely crazy, Matthew."

He turned away from me, "Beatrice, you know how much I care for you, don't you?"

I chose not to answer; he went on, "I am trying to keep you safe, Beatrice… There are things I have heard-- things I have seen that I simply cannot tell you just yet. I know you hate to hear this, but it's just too dangerous for you. If I told you, you would be more vulnerable to the shaska, and how they want the prophecy to be fulfilled."

"That's bullshit, Matthew, and you know it. It's not a matter of my fucking safety; it's a matter of whether or not you feel secure."

"Why don't you just grow up, Beatrice? You're acting like a kid."

"Whatever," I replied, angrily, wanting to scream at him-- to _make _him talk; to make him tell me what was going on, "I can't help but acting this way, when it's exactly how you treat me, Matthew."

"That's it, isn't it, Beatrice?" he asked, turning around; his face was becoming red. I had never seen him so angry before; not ever, "You just want everyone to feel sorry for you, don't you--?"

"You _know _that's not true, Matthew, you know that--"

"You act like you're the only person in this universe who has ever suffered."

"Fuck you," I hissed, angrily, "You know that's not true!"

"Who are you trying to convince of that, Beatrice? Me or you?"

"I'm so sick of this, Matthew… Why don't you leave if you feel like that?"

"I will then."

"It figures!" I screamed, angrily, "Just when things get a little tough between us, you leave on one of your little adventures."

"Bye," he whispered, and he turned his back to me again.

I was now fearful, for some reason; I panicked. My heart began to race-- I suddenly realized that if he left now, I would be distraught-- _unstable, _in a way. My anger turned to worry at what could lay ahead for me on my own.

"God, Matthew. Why can't you turn around? Please," he began walking away from me; I caught up with him, and spun him around, _"Please," _I begged, tears shining in my eyes, "I need to know-- I _need _to know what you've been up to, Matthew. I need this. I hate not knowing if you're going to come back or not."

"Well, then, you're going to hate the next couple of days."

And with that, he was gone. Again.

This was our first fight.

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The "couple of days" soon turned into weeks.

At times, I was mad at him, while at other times, I pined for him. I loved him, and I simply could not believe that he had had the notion that I didn't care for him; sure I resented him for not being as open with me as I would like, but that didn't mean I didn't want him with me.

I sat at the window overlooking the sea nearly all day, anticipating his return, when I could apologize, and feel safe once again…

At long last-- after what seemed like years had passed, a gentle knock came at the door, and although it was nearing three in the morning, I immediately bolted right out of bed, and ran to open the door, and allow him inside, "I've missed you so much," I whispered, gently, and without thinking, I threw my arms around him.

"And I have missed you as well," he replied, and I gave him a warm smile, "I'm so sorry, Matthew… I didn't mean to be such a bitch to you. I know now that if you could tell me, you would." He nodded, "But don't leave me ever again," I whispered, _"Please _don't leave me again," I felt a strong wave of emotions, and began to cry.

"_Shh…" _he whispered; his words comforting me, "Don't cry, my Beatrice… Don't cry…" I nodded and finally stopped, but my shoulders continued their incessant trembling, "Beatrice, I know it must have been tough after that night I left."

I nodded, and grasped his hand, as he closed the door, and followed me into the living-room; he flicked on the light-switch, and we sat beside each other on the couch, "I'm sorry for hurting you that night, and I want you to know that I didn't mean any of that crap I said."

I smiled, "Neither did I."

"I know that."

We laughed together, and he held me close, "Beatrice," he whispered, "I have a question to ask you-- I know it's sudden, but would you marry me?"

I looked into his eyes, and began to laugh again; hysterical laughter, although it was out of happiness more than glee. I had not been expecting this-- I had not been expecting _anything _like this. Without thinking, my answer came, "Yes," I whispered, and we began planning out arrangements for our marriage the following day; after all, time was short. For all we knew, we would be dead the following week.


	4. Premonition

_Chapter 4: Premonition_

After a small amount of time passed-- a year to be exact, actually, it did not take us very long to get married. We ended up deciding it would be best for me to devote my time to finishing my second year of college, and that I would take off a semester for a break from all the stress and tension that goes hand in hand with college.

A simple ceremony; right in our local City Hall, as neither of us had any living relatives to attend-- although I was unsure if my Great Aunt, Eunice was alive or dead… I hadn't bothered to look her up as she had been nothing but a bitch to my mother and me. Although it was not the wedding I would have imagined having when I was much younger, I loved it; I dressed casually, then a simple exchange of vows, and some signage of the right forms, and we were off for our honeymoon; all the way during our trip, I thought of my mother and how neither she nor my father had lived to see my wedding day-- my father had not lived to give me away, while my mother had not lived to cry happily over my new marital status. It broke my heart, and try as I might to shut out the pain, it continued to linger.

And it always would.

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On our way home, we stopped to stay in a little Bed and Breakfast pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Although the atmosphere of the place was absolutely wonderful, I couldn't help but have the feeling that business was not doing well, as when we walked in through the doors, the guy behind the reception desk had seemed to brighten up, and promise that whatever accommodation we requested would be given.

Our trip together had gone by wonderfully; Matthew had not disappeared, and had not even gone anywhere without me-- it was as if he were making up for lost time, and although I never vocalized my opinions, I truly appreciated it. We were together, and for once, everything was going well… He made my life so much better, and I felt happier than I had felt before now that we were married… Little did the two of us know that things would soon change...

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That night, I slept quite peacefully-- which was actually no surprise now; now, I always slept all throughout the night when Matthew was sleeping and safe beside me… He held me as I slept, and it was then that the dreams began again…

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_I run through the building, screaming my head off for no apparent reason… And then I realize what it is; I am trapped here. Alone and trapped. There is no one here to comfort me. No one here to guide me. I hate being here. I hate it so much…_

"_You lied to me!" I scream in anger at the unseen presence I know is REHtoMna, "You promised that I would not journey alone any longer!"_

"_I have no control over the future, Beatrice-- surely you must know that by now… Otherwise, Matthew would not have--"_

"_Where am I?" I scream, interrupting her; not wanting to hear the name of the man I love so, "Where have you sent me?"_

"_Surely you recognize the place," she whispers._

"_No," I hiss, "You cannot possibly mean that--"_

"_Yes, Beatrice, yes. You must go back to the home from which you came… Only there can your journey resume."_

"_I can't," I insist, angrily, "I simply cannot… I have forgotten the way."_

"_You know as well as I that that is not true."_

"_I can't go back there! You cannot make me… The memories will kill me… I cannot handle it now… I'm trying to forget everything that took place there…"_

"_You can't forget your past, Beatrice… You cannot forget…"_

_And with that, I am alone in the house that had once been my sanctuary crying on the dusty floor, yearning for it all to end…_

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I woke instantly with a start, "We have to go," I whispered, and in a few moments, Matthew was awake as well, and was staring at me with a strange look upon his face.

"Where?" he asked, yawning; obviously not fully awake yet, "What are you talking about, babe?"

"I told you not to call me that," I whispered, "But it doesn't matter. We have to leave. _Now. _We have to go home."

"Home?" he asked, his wide eyes now full of deep misunderstanding, "We'll be back tomorrow… We made the reservations for dinner."

"Cancel them," I whispered, "We need to get out of this place… We need to go home, Matthew."

"What are you on about?" he asked.

"Home… Not _home, _but _my _home-- my hometown-- and my old house, where I lived with my parents until everything began. I had a dream, and REHtoMna told me that we must go there as soon as possible… I think there's something that we-- _I_ need to find there, Matthew."

He stared at me, skeptically, "But, how are you sure it wasn't a trick, Beatrice? This is too sudden, and it seems as if I would have known about--"

Deciding to question his last statement later on, I continued, "Look, Matthew. You've got to believe me. I'm sure of this… We need to go there."

"Okay, just let me get dressed… We'll have to cancel our dinner reservations and our second night here."

"Fine-- just hurry."

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It took about an hour for the both of us to get ready, so by the time we were in our car, it was nearing nine in the morning.

It would take a while for us to get to California-- my old house was about an hour and a half drive from Barstow. I was unsure why I was so anxious to get there; the dream had frightened me… It made it seem as though Matthew would somehow--

No. That wouldn't happen… That _couldn't _happen. It was just a dream-- but then why was I letting it drag us away from everything, and return to the life that I had declared dead so long ago…? Was I overreacting, or was I under reacting to the content of that blasted dream…? Well, no. I was simply _responding… _right? And why shouldn't I? These were dangerous times, and I had to react to each and every sign I received along the way.

I stared at Matthew, and couldn't help but smile as the car started, "Thanks for understanding," I whispered. He nodded, gently, and I closed my eyes in deep concentration.

It was crazy. Absolutely crazy, but I could not tell Matthew the full extent and contents of the dream… I didn't want to worry or frighten him… Everything was beginning to speed up again, and I hoped for what seemed like the billionth time that I would be ready for whatever lay ahead of the two of us.


	5. History Repeats Itself

_Chapter 5: History Repeats Itself_

The drive back home took nearly two days straight with a few breaks to get gas and a bite to eat. I had not been in my hometown since that night when I had left Carla's parents nearly two years before, but as we neared it, everything seemed exactly the same after we had left Barstow as it had before. Nothing had changed at all-- I recognized the same small family-run businesses that had sold ice cream or school supplies to me when I had been a kid. It was surprising, and yet so unsurprising at the same time-- ambiguous, even. I mean, you hear about all these people who return to their hometowns years later after their childhoods have ended to find nothing they recognize, and for me, it was the complete opposite. It figured.

We drove on, and all the while, I became more and more anxious of what I would find in the house that I had abandoned so long ago; I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to tell Matthew to stop the care about fifteen minutes from my hours, but nonetheless, I did. When I saw the small river where I had always swam as a summer treat during my childhood with friends like Carla Baker and others, I suddenly had the urge to see it again with adult eyes; to feel it again before we went any further. I'm still unsure why I chose to stop here of all place; maybe it was the nostalgia-- the happy memories that might give me a boost of energy before leaping back into my journey. It was nearing midnight, and somehow, Matthew sensed what I was feeling as well, so without his questioning my intentions here, the car came to a complete stop on the side of the road, we opened our doors, and rushed out into the beautiful moonlight.

The yellow moon was gently glowing above us; I could see its large reflection in the dark water, "What is this place?" Matthew asked-- his voice a timid whisper from behind me, as I became enchanted by the thrall of everything surrounding us.

"A river where I used to play," I whispered, gently, peering into the dark water, only to see nothing but the moon, "Why are we here?" Matthew finally asked after the long silence that had ensued.

"I am not sure," I replied truthfully, "But we're only about fifteen minutes from my house… I think we have some free time," I plunged my hand into the water.

"Are you sure we have spare time?" he continued, "You weren't too keen on stopping so I could use a toilet on the way here."

"Very funny, smartass," I replied, bringing the water to my lips-- I tasted it, and it wasn't the same; suddenly, the water felt hot-- everything felt hot, actually. Maybe making a stop here had indeed been a bad idea.

No. I was being stupid. Just because I had been overcome with the notion of visiting my favorite childhood retreat, it didn't mean that anything out of the ordinary was about to take place there. Sure, it was past midnight, and yes, this place _was _in the middle of nowhere, but did it mean anything? Not necessarily, and that meant that I had no need to worry.

But, then again, something _was _wrong about the atmosphere-- it was almost as if the two of us were being watched by some unseen figures in the near bushes, "Wait," I whispered, deciding to voice my inner fears, "something is not right here."

He did not reply. Was he messing with me? No, Matthew wasn't the kind of guy to do something like that. I turned around, sure that he was just behind me… but, he wasn't, "Matthew?" I whispered, "Matthew…" I repeated, _Where is he? _I wondered, overcome by a sudden panic that I had only experienced within my dream the previous evening-- it didn't make sense. After all, he would not have left me-- at least not now; not while we were still out in the open-- not while I was still vulnerable to whatever it was that was lurking in the bushes… No. That was nothing… _"Beatrice…" _a voice whispered, telling me otherwise, and I screamed in fright. Something had happened-- something had happened to my Matthew, and he had somehow disappeared without a sign… "Matthew!" I screamed his name, somehow knowing with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach that he could no longer hear my voice… "Matthew!" I screamed once again, but I knew that he was gone. _Gone, _the word echoed in my mind, _He left-- he's gone now… Is he-- _

**_NO! _**That simply was not possible. He could not be dead. He just couldn't be. This wasn't the same as what had happened to others that I had loved. I was acting retarded-- maybe he had gone back in the car, or wandered into the bushes…

Yes. That was it. That _had _to be it… But all the same, why wasn't he answering me…? What had happened to him…? Why had I been stupid enough to have made him take me to the river; a place that had seemed so safe and harmless when I had been a child…? Why couldn't I have ignored my first instincts, and why was I being stupid enough to stay put when I should get as far away from this place as possible…?

_A spell, _I realized, _Someone was--_ is_ watching us--_ me_ tonight, _I began to run; pausing to cast a glance towards the strange bushes, and I saw them. Eyes-- glowing-- _burning _red eyes that seemed to look into me with such hatred that I could hardly restrain myself from falling onto the muddy floor, and going into fetal position.

I wrenched the car-door open, and climbed into the driver's side; Matthew had left the keys right in the ignition… Something that had always irked me during our relationship, but something that I was now truly thankful for.

I didn't know why it had happened, but it had. Matthew was gone now, and I was determined to discover what had befallen him on our seemingly harmless outing to the place that I had loved so…

I turned the key in the ignition, and slammed my foot on the pedal; with a roar, the car sped away from a patch of grass just in front of the bushes where I had seen the glowing red eyes…

Just like with my mother when she and my father had been newlyweds, her husband had disappeared… Mine had as well… How ironic that was. It made my stomach turn… Where had they taken my husband…? Where had they taken my Matthew…? Where had they taken the only man I had ever loved…?

_They… _

Well, it was obvious that darker forces were somehow connected to all of this, and one thing was for sure: I would make them pay for putting me and my husband through hell.

And I didn't care if I would die trying.


	6. Homecoming

_Chapter 6: Homecoming_

I sped down the freeway; my heart was racing thousands of time faster than normal, and my forehead was perspiring like mad. I was scared shitless now, and for some reason-- whatever it was, for I was unsure, Matthew had been taken away from me, and there was no way whatsoever to bring him back to me-- at least not yet…

What had happened to him…? What the _fuck _had happened to him…? Someone-- someone or something had taken him, and that someone had taken him from right under my nose. No. That was simply ludicrous; that was something directly out of a faerie story or something that only a dunce would take seriously… People didn't just vanish without a trace like that-- but that was a downright lie. Who was I fooling? It was actually a little surprising that it hadn't happened sooner to the person who was closest to me in life. I was breathing hard and heavy from all of the stress and anger coursing through my veins… I needed to somehow calm myself. I needed to clear my head, but there simply was not enough time for anything like that… In my world, there never seemed to be.

I made a sharp right turn, and onto a residential street; I didn't even bother to slow down, even though I was now going ten miles over the speed limit; for whatever reason, the cops were too busy eating donuts or something to bust me for speeding. Bless them. And besides, nothing mattered right now. I had to get back to my hometown, and I had to reenter the house that I had once called home again-- hopefully for the last time. REHtoMna obviously had something in store for me there-- maybe I would be able to find safety…

I stole a glance behind me. For some reason, I had the distinct impression that I was being followed by something although my senses told me to stop overanalyzing things, and to stop seeing demons in every corner, and, once again, I chose to utterly ignore my senses… I was acting crazy…

_Or was I…? _Now, I was unsure. There was no way to tell. Not now-- not yet…

As I continued the drive that seemed to become more and more frightening with each mile, I became more and more petrified… Something awful was going to happen to him right now. That was for damn sure. Something was happening to him right now. Something _had _happened to him right now. _No, Beatrice, _a voice hissed in the back of my head, _You're acting paranoid. Matthew will be fine._

I was being delirious now. I was losing my senses; I kept on thinking the same things over and over again in my head, almost as if expecting everything to turn out a tad bit better for me. But that simply wouldn't-- _couldn't _happen now… I was too deeply submerged into whatever was happening around me.

Everything had taken a great turn for the worse-- and so very suddenly too. That's what was so strange about it all.

How I wished it would only turn out to be just another crazy dream…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was not a dream, however… It wasn't too surprising, but nonetheless, I kept the ray of hope that it might turn out to be one in the end.

At long last-- nearly twenty minutes after I had left the river, my car came to a complete stop once again in the driveway of my old house; thinking again, I pulled the car out, and parked it on the side of the house to avoid suspicion. I opened my door, and stepped out into the moonlight again, not too keen on being here again; the old _FOR SALE _sign that I had seen a couple years ago was still there, meaning that no one had been brave or stupid enough to purchase the place. More ivy had grown in the last few years, and was now creeping up to the windows of the house-- almost strangling it, and now I realized why my father had done his best to keep the growth "under control." The paint-job of the house that had seemed so beautiful ages ago was now fading, and as I stood on the front-stoop, I realized that the door was falling apart as well; the house had obviously gone to shambles. That was for sure; I was actually horrified in a way, when I noticed the number of shingles from the roof now lying scattered about on the yellowing grass of the front-lawn... It was like a haunted house from some horror flick-- something from a faraway dream, and it filled me with utter foreboding at the notion of actually _entering _the place after so very long-- after all, three years ago, when I had reentered the earth through the portal in my old attic, I had stayed within the house for as short an amount of time as humanly possible before leaving again-- there had been too many good memories, good and bad then, and there were too many memories now. I dreaded opening that door again. This place had once been so very beautiful, and now it had aged and changed; becoming decrepit and scary. It was now the spook house that no neighborhood child would _dare _to venture near on Halloween. I sensed that the house had already become a legend among the citizens of the town-- it was only practical, after all.

Echoes of faraway imaginary voices spoke in my mind: _"That's where it happened. That's where the murder happened, and that's where that little Horowitz girl and her stepmother disappeared forever."_

I shivered in the cold wind, and placed my hand upon the doorknob, determined not to chicken out, or have a panic attack. I _had _to do this, after all, and it was now or never. The house beckoned me inside, and yet warned me to run away from it all at the same time.

I went to turn the knob… and nothing happened; it remained frozen in its position.

Well, it wasn't too surprising. The realtors who now controlled every aspect of the house-- including the allowance of it falling into disrepair had probably had it locked up to ensure that no one would be able to break in lest he or she shatter a window, and jump inside on a dare. I laughed my uneasiness off, and then fell to my knees, remembering what had always lain right beneath the doormat in case of emergency in secret.

My hands searched beneath the graying mat for a few seconds before pulling out a very small piece of metal that suddenly caused such a sudden wave of memories that I actually burst into tears. My father's words from long ago echoed in my mind, as calmly and soothingly as they had spoken the words over a decade before: _"If anything happens to Mom or me, you'll know where this is, and you'll be able to get into the house safely, and phone the police if need be." _I held the key close to my eyes, and realized that although it had once been silver and perfect; years of disuse had caused it to become rusted. How strange it was that even a simple thing such as this would send me into a great flood of tears, when Matthew's disappearance had not. It was almost as if, subconsciously, I was trying my very best to convince myself that he was somehow safe wherever he was, although I could not be even fifty percent sure.

I stood once again on two trembling legs as the stone around my neck glowed for the first time that night; almost reassuring me that I would not find danger or death within the house that had caused me so much grief after my mother's death.

"Okay," I whispered, clutching the key very tightly, "I'm ready."

_I hope those stupid bastards didn't have the locks changed as well, _I thought, being overly persnickety, as I inserted the key into the small keyhole, and to my surprise, was able to turn it into the knob. The door had unlocked; I breathed in a sigh of relief, and pushed the door open, taking a step inside, closing the door soundly shut behind me, and then making sure to lock it again to ensure that no one would join me.

On tiptoes, I ventured further inside, almost as if concerned that I would somehow awaken my slumbering parents-- although that was, of course, utterly impossible. It was strange, but for some morbid reason-- whatever it was, I felt good to be home at long last.


	7. One Bite

_Chapter 7: One Bite _

Not so much to my surprise, everything had changed on the inside as well…

It was just as shocking as what had happened to the exterior of the house. I stared around the place with extremely wide eyes, and my heart was pounding very loudly in my chest as I ventured deeper and deeper within. As my eyes adjusted to the cold darkness of the place, I realized that my father's ruby-red blood still continued to stain the once perfect white carpet that had been my playground when I had still been a little girl-- the blood was, of course, Jacqueline's doing.

Everything about the place was utterly strange and surreal. The place looked and felt like a dream world, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was the slight possibility that I would somehow wake at any moment beside Matthew in our apartment over a thousand miles away from here-- _home, _for this place simply could not be referred to as "home" any longer; my previous feelings of being content at being here quickly vanished; this place was too dark, and too dirty to still be the place that I had once loved with all my heart. Time had changed it-- time had changed me as well.

I took in an extremely deep breath, and for the first time in years caught the fragrance of the place; it was not the same-- it was dusty-- _filthy, _actually. I sneezed; once, twice, three times, and then I looked continued to look all around me. The curtains that Jacqueline had hung up a few months before she and my father had blissfully "tied the knot" were still hanging in the living-room windows, relatively unchanged, unlike everything else, and I knew that if I bothered to part them, and look out, I would only find my own mother's flowerbeds rotting and dead-- just as I had left them. How ironic such a frivolous thing had once sent me into a mad rage.

My eyes were now watering from my allergies. My heart was throbbing from being there again. I wanted to wrench the door open, and run out into the relief of cold night, but then I remembered Matthew. I _had _to be here-- at least for him… Somehow, I felt that the answers I now sought pertaining to his disappearance would be found here. It only made sense. Otherwise, REHtoMna would never have had sent me that troubling dream-- the one that helped lead to Matthew's vanishing from off of the face of the earth.

The floor creaked beneath me, and I nearly let out an unearthly scream, and then I remembered-- _Old houses are apt to make such strange noises in the middle of the night, Beatrice, _I told myself as I would a child, _It's commonsense, but all the same… _

"Is anyone here?" I called out.

No answer.

I was obviously all alone.

Just like I had been in my dream…

How I hated it when they ended up coming true, "Fuck," I breathed, looking wildly around me in order to reassure myself that no one was with me. "Is anyone here?" I repeated; still no answer. I breathed in a sigh of relief; I was obviously alone now. Thank God I wouldn't be forced to battle anyone or anything tonight… It was bad enough that the whole world was spinning around thanks to the disappearance of my husband of three days, and I didn't need anything to overcomplicate matters any further.

Obviously, whatever I was meant to find here simply was not on the first floor… I looked around me one final time, and then began the long ascent up the stairs to the second floor; and all the while, I was plagued with images of my father's head bouncing upon each lightly bloodstained stair… I gripped the banister tighter still; determined not to faint on the stairs and suffer the same fate-- or at least an unpleasant wave of unconsciousness… I didn't feel like dealing with crap like that today. _One foot in front of the other, Beatrice, _I thought, after having been overcome by another wave of dizziness, _You can make it… You can make it… _

After what seemed like an eon had passed, I at long last stepped directly over the final stair, and found myself in the dark hallway; the place where Jacqueline had given me the apple, and had then cursed me with a spell that made me forget all of my troubles and suspicions momentarily; just long enough for her to knock me out, in her first of many attempts to kill my mortal being.

I gripped the graying walls, and flicked on the light switch to throw the place into the welcoming glow only associated with light… Nothing happened, _Fuck, _I thought, _they cut off the electricity as well… It figures, _I placed my cool hands upon my warm face, and continued to walk down the hallway; the carpet slightly tickled my bare feet. Everything-- simply _everything _was covered in three or more layers of dark-colored gray dust. I sneezed once again, and then stuck my head into my bedroom to catch a glimpse of what lay inside.

Everything that I had left there was now gone… It nearly broke my heart in two. I simply could not believe that all of the memories I had made here were now gone forever; maybe in other homes in other parts of the country… It was strange.

_"Beatrice…" _the voice. _Again. _Why did I keep on hearing it? Was I losing my mind once again…? _I need to calm the _fuck _down, _I thought, and then continued walking in the other direction, for it was now clear that since my bedroom was now empty, it would provide zero answers to this mystery I was now involved in, _Why have I been instructed to come to this place? _I wondered, bitterly, _Maybe it's all a trap, _I frowned, _No-- otherwise, they would have made their presence known sooner as opposed to later…_

I continued to walk; glancing into every room as I passed by. I found each to be as empty as the next, and I soon realized that the entire house had been unfurnished-- not counting the ghastly curtains that still hung downstairs. I frowned in despair, and looked above me towards the ceiling, when I finally remembered.

There was the attic-- and if memory served me correctly, the old family that had lived here before ours had left loads of stuff up there, and it had remained undisturbed-- and that most likely meant that all of the stuff we had moved up to the attic had most likely remained untouched as well. I smiled at my cleverness, and found the door that led to the upstairs room in a great hurry.

I wrenched it open, and ran up the steps; causing gray dust to swirl up in clouds with each step I took… Moments later, I found myself in the attic. It was dark, and I could hardly see a thing, but that didn't matter. Whatever I was meant to find here, I would find it eventually one way or the other.

I immediately set about looking within the large dusty boxes that had kept many keepsakes of my mothers' completely safe from Jacqueline's destructive tendencies; I suddenly remembered having taken them to ensure that she wouldn't have had them burned like the paintings; dresses, photographs, and other small trinkets-- nothing that would prove helpful. I stood, and looked around me, realizing with a heavy sigh, that other than the three boxes labeled _Bea's Toys, _I had sifted through all of them. I looked towards the far right corner, and found a dark brown dusty coat that had belonged to my father covering up something long and circular.

I seized upon the spot, and tore the coat away; my hands came into contact with something that was warm to the touch, even though the room was freezing cold thanks to a broken window. I gasped in astonishment; it was a beautiful looking-glass with a long crack running down its middle lengthwise; it _had _been my mother's, but I did not remember having ever brought the thing up there, and then I remembered. When I had been very young-- about six or seven, the mirror had become damaged somehow, and my mother had had my father bring it up here to ensure that I would not play with it as it was now dangerous; as a child, I had been fascinated by the thing, and had pretended for hours on end to be talking to other children or people on the other side-- maybe I really had been. I traced my finger down the crack, amazed at its simple beauty, and then gasping as it suddenly glowed white-- no, silver.

_"Beatrice…" _the voice whispered from within, and I was no longer afraid of it, "Yes," I whispered, "It is me… I have come here. Who are you?"

"Surely you know," the voice answered, and I at last recognized it.

"REHtoMna," I breathed a sigh of relief, and placed my hand upon the mirror once again, "What is this thing truly?" I asked, now knowing that it was not an ordinary mirror.

_"It is a mirror of magic, my child… Time is short. Danger lurks everywhere… You must join me here. I fear that I have waited too long." _Her voice sounded whispy, urgent, and faraway all at the same time; hearing it sent shivers up my spine.

I remained silent as her face appeared within the mirror. She looked just as beautiful as the last time I had seen her, _"You are unharmed,"_ she whispered, and I nodded, deciding not to mention the fact that Matthew clearly was not.

She held out her hand; almost as if I were expected to take it, "What are you--" I began, and then I realized what she was holding; _an apple. _

_"Take the apple…"_ she whispered, and I grimaced, "Sorry, but I have an aversion to apples ever since--"

_"Do not be foolish now, Beatrice… You are in more danger now than you ever were." _

"But, I--"

_"Take the apple,"_ her voice was now more firm.

My hand melted into the mirror, and I was able to place my grip onto the apple; a few seconds later, I had brought it out of the mirror.

"What now?" I asked, already knowing and dreading the answer.

_"One bite, my child… That is all it will take… One bite from the apple." _

I hesitated, "But, can't you please explain first why--"

_"Time is limited. Do it, or your life will be limited as well." _

I looked around me, not wanting to take a bite from the wretched piece of fruit I now held in my hand, although it smelled beautiful… But, all the same… I did not want to stay in this house any longer, and it wasn't as if I would be at the mercy of a shaska from eating it as I had been last time…

_"Beatrice…" _a voice whispered once again, and this time, it _wasn't _REHtoMna's. Something _was _in the room with me, and I could actually see it-- the red eyes…

I raised the apple to my lips, and allowed my teeth to sink into its tender flesh; I chewed for a few moments, and then swallowed, "Now what?" I asked, discarding the piece of fruit among the boxes.

_"Take my hand, and think of nothing but the journey on which you must now embark…" _

Her hand suddenly came from out of the glass of the mirror-- I felt uneasy; my stomach was knotting up, but I took her pale hand, and as my body came into contact with the glass of the mirror, it melted away; becoming a shimmering silver fluid-like substance, and I was suddenly in a long, silver room, all alone with the Queen of the Faeries.


	8. Wanderings and Memories

_Chapter 8: Wanderings and Memories_

"That wasn't so very bad, now was it?" her voice asked soothingly-- with a hint of sarcasm after the strange sensation of having passed through the mirror had worn away, and I felt solid and normal once again.

I nodded, although I could still taste the sweet red apple in my mouth, and although I loathed the flavor, I actually longed for more, "So, where are we now?" I asked, gazing down the long silver hallway in amazement at its beauty, "Surely, this is not the world of the faerie?" I asked, staring into a mirror identical to my mother's that was still focused upon the attic-- I could no longer see the creature with red eyes; I breathed in a sigh of relief, deciding then and there that it might be better for me if I forgot having acknowledged its existence altogether.

She shook her head in response, "No… But there are things of great importance to be discovered here… Come…" she held out her hand once again, for I had torn mine away in order to show my worry to her upfront, "Just wait one second, okay? Where's Matthew…? Where is my husband?"

Her face darkened, "I am afraid that I cannot answer that question, Beatrice…."

"Why?" I hissed, "Why does that always seem to be your answer when I'm with you?" I demanded, angrily.

"I cannot tell you for I-- we do not yet know the answer, Beatrice, and all we know is that Matthew somehow disappeared. Someone took him because they know how much he means to you."

"They want to hurt me?"

She nodded, "They always have."

"Thanks for the understatement of the century," I replied, sarcastically, "Look, REHtoMna," I whispered, "Thanks for bringing me here and all that good stuff, but before we go any further, I would like some answers…"

"Beatrice, maybe we should just--"

"No, REHtoMna. Don't put it off. I need answers now as opposed to later, and _please _don't give me any of that 'we'll discuss it later when there's time' shit. I've heard it enough, and right now, I need to know what's been going on these past couple of years. That's all I ask of you, all right? And then we can be on our merry way once again, got that?"

"I suppose that first and foremost, you would like to know where Matthew has gone to upon his previous disappearances-- he was sworn to secrecy to ensure your safety, Beatrice. You must understand that."

"Yes, I do now-- please tell me everything I could not be told before. I need to know before I begin whatever is in store for me now."

"Well, Beatrice… As you know, the war between the shaska and the faerie has been waging on for many centuries."

I nodded.

"Lately, it has grown to gargantuan proportions-- larger than ever before, and Matthew, as his ancestors were magical beings has been required to fight along with the others-- it was and is impertinent that we have as much help as possible out there."

I shook my head in outrage, "Well, if that's all that's been going on, why couldn't I have been notified?"

"Well, that's not all, so if you would let me finish, I could--"

"Go right ahead," I interrupted.

"And as you must have suspected at one time or another, Matthew has been trying to at last find the missing half of the prophecy; he was quite confident that he was nearing closer, and that's probably why he was taken from us all… There is definitely something within that prophecy that they do not want us-- which they do not want you to know."

I remained silent; continuing to carefully process the given information in my mind. It all made complete sense, "If all of this is true, then why was I sent that dream-- the one that made me come back to my old house, I mean."

"What dream?" she asked, apprehensively.

"The dream-- a couple of night ago while Matthew and I were staying in a hotel celebrating our marriage, I had a dream, and in it, you urged me to return there… That's why I came, but along the way, Matthew and I stopped about twenty minutes away from out destination, and that's when he vanished."

Her face grew graver still, "Beatrice, I fear that… somehow, you were sent that dream by a shaska-- it was most likely all a trap to lure you towards that place where they took him."

"Then, I guess it's all my fault, isn't it? If it had not been for me, Matthew would still be safe-- and he would still be with me right this instant."

"Blame cannot solely be placed upon you, Beatrice. I should have kept in touch with you, and I should have alerted you to everything that's been going on here since you departed. Otherwise, I am sure you would have known not to be as keen to have listened to a mere dream without double checking, but it does not matter any longer. You are here now, and you must continue Matthew's journey without him-- you must find whatever it was that he knew, and find the prophecy, and above all, you must find him, and return him to your loving embrace."

"Don't worry," I whispered firmly, "because I plan to."

"I know that," she replied, casually, "I know that you will follow every little clue until you have found him, and have been reunited. I know who you are, Beatrice, and I know that you would never give up," she smiled, "but enough chit-chat. There are things to be learned here, and more words to be spoken between the two of us. If you are now ready, take my hand, and we shall continue our journey here."

"All right," I whispered, and I placed my hand once again upon hers, and feeling like a toddler, we began walking down the silver hallway. There were more windows, overlooking other rooms, and there were doors on every other side; where they led to, I was unsure, but I decided not to ask for a further explanation.

"You have grown some more in both your temperament and attitude," REHtoMna whispered.

I nodded; unsure of what other way I could possibly respond to this pretty out-there comment.

"So, where exactly are we going now?" I asked, after a few moments of awkward silence.

"You will see eventually," she replied curtly, and I nodded.

Eventually, we came to an extremely tall door made of oak, and REHtoMna motioned for me to stop in front of it, "There is one more thing you must see before I leave you on your own again, Beatrice, and it's this."

Upon her finishing the sentence, the door suddenly flung open to reveal two women on the other side; one was my age-- she actually looked quite a lot like me, while I could tell the other was much older, although I could not see her quite clearly as she stood with her back to us. I made to venture within the room, but REHtoMna stopped me, "Don't," she whispered, "just stand back and watch."

I stood back, and watched; they were arguing about something-- that was as obvious as the nose on my face. The woman--t he younger one was shouting her head off at the older one, "You can't just act like nothing's wrong damn it!" she screamed, and I saw that tears were streaming down her pretty pink cheeks, and a stone was glowing around her neck-- the exact same one that was now glowing around my neck-- _My stone,_ I suddenly realized, _then that means that she's--_

"Don't act like this, Joanna," the second whispered, and I realized that this woman was obviously my mother a few months before her pregnancy had begun to show, _What's she doing with the stone though? _I wondered, turning to REHtoMna, but she simply shook her head, silently insisting that I continue to watch what would unfold.

"But, it's not right! I'm pregnant, and he's missing-- and you're acting like I should just sit around and wait for him to come back-- like you want me to be just like you."

"You know that's not how I feel, Joanna-- what are you doing now?" she asked this for my mother was now throwing on a coat.

"I need to get the hell out of here-- I need to find James."

"That's crazy talk," the second woman responded.

"I don't care-- I need to find him," and with that, my mother rushed towards the door.

"Joanna! Joanna!" the woman screamed, and turned.

It was Elaine.

The door slammed shut, and my head began to spin wildly; _It doesn't make sense-- Elaine… Was she my mother's fairy godmother as well?_

"Does this mean what I think it means?" I asked, after my shock had worn off.

REHtoMna nodded, "Why haven't I known this yet-- and what relevance does it truly have?"

"It holds much relevance," she replied, "but enough talk for now… We must get out of here… We shall return to the world of the faerie… I feel that it is imperative that you rest up there for a few days before being cut loose in the wild worlds again."

"But--" Now I had thousands of questions, but she merely shook her head, saying, "All will reveal itself when the time is right, Beatrice. Now, hold tight to my hand, and we shall be gone."

I nodded, and the strange silver hallway vanished.


	9. Morning Sickness and a Visit

_Chapter 9: Morning Sickness and a Visit_

A few minutes later-- three, to be exact, although I cannot be altogether sure, as time can be quite irrelevant during such matters of life, we stopped whirling through the air, and gently landed right on our respective feet upon the white marbled floor of the Queen's palace; a place I had not seen since my reincarnation years before. My stomach unclenched; how I despised the odd means of travel so closely associated with magical beings, but there seemed to be no way around it, and if I bothered to ask such a question, I would probably be told to focus my attention upon other, more urgent matters.

"Welcome," she whispered to me, "As long as I reign over my people, my palace is your home as well, and when my daughter inherits it, I trust that she will feel the same way."

"Thanks," I mumbled, deciding not to voice the fact that I did not know she had any children, and promptly looked about the sprawling room, "Where is everyone?" I turned to face her again.

"Fighting," she replied swiftly.

I nodded, knowing that by "fighting" she meant that they were in the midst of the great battle my husband had been fighting in, before his disappearance; she continued, "Shall I show you to your room?" she asked.

"No… I remember the way," I whispered, not caring if I was sounding rude; the truth was, I needed to be alone again. I needed to sit down and think for a while and make sense of everything. My forehead was perspiring hot and heavy beads of sweat… I felt changed for some odd reason. I bit my tongue, overwhelmed with anxiety, and wondered if I would possibly faint from it all. I opened my eyes, closed them, opened them again. The room seemed to be spinning around wildly-- I felt vomit in the back of my throat…

"If you need anything, simply call my name," she whispered, clearly unperturbed by my lack of gratefulness, "I will," I lied, and with that, I left her all alone in the Grand Ballroom-- for that's what the place was, and I was on my way once again, pausing once, then twice, to wipe sweat from my brow.

My head was swimming, and my heart was pounding. For some strange reason, during our journey to the land of the faerie, I had somehow been reminded by the fact that I had not received my monthly visitor…

I shook the notion out of my head. It was simply preposterous. The mere thought! I chuckled to myself, but it wasn't sincere… The perspiration grew heavier, and I saw white spots dancing around in front of my eyes.

I rounded the corner, and soon found the door that led to the room I had stayed in upon my last visit; I wrenched the doorknob open, and stepped inside. It was just as I remembered; lush flowers covered nearly every surface, and when I poked my head into the wardrobe, in order to clear my head-- which did not end up working, I found it stocked full of many gowns, blouses and skirts for me to wear during my stay there.

I looked around me at the room mournfully; wondering where Matthew was, and if he was wondering about me as well. I flopped down on my back onto the bed, and fingered the stone around my neck which glowed warmly in response. Everything was being sped up once again; it always seemed this way whenever I was thrown back into the worlds of turmoil that supposedly needed me so.

So much was going on, and there seemed to be not enough time to get things done, and the thought that maybe-- just maybe, _another HUGE _problem might be coming along the way was enough to make my stomach turn…

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I woke the following morning with the feeling of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach having had steadily risen-- I then remembered that I had actually been tormented by dreams of the possibility in the night; without thinking, I rushed over to a chamber pot in the other room and promptly vomited. The thought rose in my mind once again, _Morning sickness-- that most likely means that I'm-- _the thought was unbearable. I couldn't deal with it. Without hesitation, I vomited a second time, and then began to cry bitter tears of regret, longing, and most of all, that awful term known as self-pity.

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The following day, the notion of pregnancy seemed a bit less gargantuan. I came to terms-- well, not so much; after all, I was only about two months along, and if I made the decision to, I could simply have an--

My thoughts were interrupted by a steady knock at the door, "Who is it?" I called, and it promptly opened to reveal Elaine, smiling, with arms full of what appeared laundry. She was obvious oblivious to my great depression, "Oh," I whispered, "it's you."

"Yes. I'm surprised you're not shocked I didn't come sooner, but things have been happening, and--" her face suddenly fell as she caught sight of the expression on mine, and her stony gray eyes stared deeply into my own, almost penetrating me, "Why, my Beatrice!" she exclaimed, taking a seat beside me on the bed, and feeling my forehead with her cold hands, "Your face is atrociously _pale-- _you look as if you've seen a ghost! What's happened to you…?"

I failed to remind her that she was basically a ghost, and then hesitated to answer, "Come now. You can tell me. I'm best at keeping secrets, after all," she laughed joyously, and I, somewhat grudgingly joined in.

After a few seconds of the false laughter on my part, I opened my mouth to answer, and then, overcome with a sudden wave of nausea; I rushed into the adjourning room, and vomited into the chamber pot for the third time that day. I walked quietly back to the bed, took my seat beside Elaine once again. I opened my mouth to speak again; determined to get the ghastly news out in the open, "Well, ignoring the fact that my husband was somehow taken away from me, I have high suspicions that I might be pregnant."

I stared at Elaine, and to my surprise-- and horror, her face once again lit up in excitement and happiness, "Is that all? Beatrice, it's only natural now that you and Matthew are married."

I gasped in astonishment, "Are you kidding me, Elaine? This simply can't be happening to me now-- I mean, I'm twenty-three, for God's sake, and neither Matthew nor I wanted to have children this early. I'm not ready to do this. Not yet."

Elaine's face switched back to being grave, "Beatrice, you can't be thinking like that. You obviously became pregnant for a reason."

"Well, Elaine… What do you propose I do, because I'm pretty sure I know the solution to this whole mess, and frankly, I don't care if you don't like it…"

"I propose that you carry this child for the next seven months, and give birth to it, and raise it as lovingly as your mother raised you."

"My mother died when I was eleven," I whispered, bitterly, "and it's not like I doubt I could be a mother," I snorted, "but I don't care, Elaine. I can't do this. I'm not having this baby, and if worse comes to worse, then I'm going to abort it."

"No," she was now scandalized; it actually surprised me how quickly she was able to bounce around from emotion to emotion with such utter ease-- maybe it was something only apt to their kind, "You simply can't do that, Beatrice… You can't have an abortion."

"And why's that?" I asked, angrily.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe that would be the solution they want you to make?"

And with that, she was gone.


	10. Carriage Rides and Strangers

_Chapter 10: Carriage Rides and Strangers_

Days passed, and all the while, I lay in my misery, refusing meals, and company; only bothering to get up two or three times a day to vomit and shower-- I was in a rut, but that didn't mean I felt like being dirty. I grew weak, and frankly, I just didn't give a damn. REHtoMna didn't bother me, and I figured she and Elaine had had some parental conversation about me and my 'condition.' How I despised the little creature growing inside me, and yet I pitied it for this. After all, it wasn't its fault that it was not wanted… It had been conceived most likely out of wedlock, and although Matthew and I had been married long before I had discovered its existence, I wanted it gone. I simply didn't want to be bothered with it. I felt guilty, yes, but I simply wasn't ready to be a mother. I had always wanted to have children, but not until I was more mature, and was ready to take full responsibility for them; I had my own life, and I was keen on having a career and finishing school before having time stolen to care for a needy child, but nonetheless, it genuinely scared me. It made me look at the world in a whole new light.

And what Elaine had told me had simply driven me even more towards madness; she had acted as if what I was going through-- these feelings were unnatural. Monstrous. But they weren't. They were normal, and if I chose to have an abortion, I could only hope that I would somehow be forgiven by whatever god there was out there, and I still had time. I didn't know much about the abortion process, but I knew that the fetus would have to be terminated before the first twenty weeks or so. Since I _had _to be less than ten weeks along, I knew that before I actually made the decision on whether or not to keep it, I would have found Matthew and brought him back to safety-- and discovered the contents of the other half of the prophecy, for I planned not to take too long. It was complicated. I hated even thinking about killing an innocent life, but what choice did I really have, after all?

A steady knock came at the door; the first all day; deciding to allow the visitor entrance as opposed to turning them away or pretending to be sleeping, "Come in," I breathed, and it opened on cue, as always, to reveal the Queen.

"Good afternoon, Beatrice," she whispered. I nodded, curtly, and didn't bother to get out of bed, although I knew what sorts of instructions were coming, "You must rise," she commanded; I remained lying there, and she sighed, "I have booked you a seat on the next carriage out of my Kingdom. You have been here for nearly a week, and although I know that you are quite…" she narrowed her eyes, _"distressed, _I feel that it is time for you to get on your way."

I nodded, and sat up in bed, "REHtoMna," I whispered, "what do you think of all of this?"

"I think that you should get off of that disgusting mattress-- I know the sheets have not been changed in days-- and you should pack a few clothes. Dress simply, by the way, and then you can leave my care."

"No-- about my…" I hesitated on the word; having not yet become accustomed to it, "_pregnancy," _I forced the word out of me; it sounded strange and foreign to me as it rolled off of my tongue. It hurt my insides to even utter it.

"I think that you should keep it."

I groaned at her, as she left the room, and I finally obeyed her instructions, and began to pack. It was typical. Just_ typical _that she would agree with Elaine-- it was almost as if they shared the same mind.

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I met the Queen once again in the Grand Ballroom. Elaine declined to say goodbye to me; she was probably still steamed by my harsh words. I clutched a small traveling pouch that kept a few changes of clothes-- most of which were either black or other dismal shades of gray and blue. "Really, Beatrice," the Queen remarked upon seeing my dark outfit, "You're dressed as if you're on your way to a funeral-- oh, well. I was never one to dispense fashion advice," the Queen kissed me upon both cheeks, and led me out into the courtyard, to find the waiting carriage, "I'm sorry," she whispered into my ear, to ensure that no one would overhear us, "but I was unable to book you a private one… There just wasn't enough time."

"It's quite all right," I whispered, although it was evident that it would not be; and I am saying this because after having whispered this, the occupants of the carriage were now poking their heads out of the windows to try to catch a quick glimpse of me, before ducking back in, as if deciding that I could not possibly have noticed their curt movements. I blushed a brilliant magenta color, and tried to ignore them… I had the feeling that the entire carriage ride would be something similar to this grim preview. I turned to face REHtoMna once again.

"I wish you prosperity and luck," she whispered, and held out about thirty pieces of parchment, an eagle feather pen, and a couple pots of ink for me to take along with me, "Write every night before you sleep… I want to hear what is going on-- _every word," _she warned, and, nodding, I took them from her, and slipped them into my pouch; bothering not to ask her how in the world they would get to her without a post office for about five million miles around-- there was probably some wonderful magical way for her to get them.

"_Do not forget," _she warned, and I nodded once again, "Be safe on your journey," she hugged me once again, "Thank you for your hospitality," I whispered; having forgotten, for a few seconds, what was going on in my stomach, "I'll find him-- I'll find the truth as well."

"I trust in that," she replied, and without another word, I turned my back to her, and climbed into the carriage, seated myself between an overly obese woman, and a young boy about my age-- upon second glance, I reckoned that he was still in his early teens, although his height suggested otherwise.

"Hello," he whispered.

I nodded my head in response; too weary to use my voice.

The carriage remained still for a few moments, and then to my surprise-- although I later remembered having seen it happen before, the carriage rose into the air, and zoomed off into the sky.

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As the ride progressed, the awkward silence that had settled within the carriage became steadily worse. I felt oddly aware of myself. I constantly blushed whenever one of my fellow passengers stole a glance at me. I felt like kindly asking them if they could get their big ugly heads out of their asses, and stop treating me like a pack animal, but I was not so bold-- I would have been, under-- _better _circumstances, but now-- today, I wasn't in the mood to be my normal bitchy self around people who deserved to be told how disgusting their manners were.

The teenage boy, in particular, was the most annoying; he kept on stealing glances at me-- even when the sun had set, and all of the passengers other than he and myself had drifted off into a long needed sleep. Eventually, I decided to catch him off his guard, and question his looks, "Excuse me… but do I know you?"

The boy shook his head, "But I know of you."

Suddenly-- mysteriously, actually, all of the passengers' had awoken, and their gazes had become glued to us.

"Do you?" I asked, uncomfortably. The carriage was humid, and my back was sticking to my shirt with sweat.

He nodded, "You're Beatrice, aren't you?"

"Yes… And your point…?"

"I think I've met your husband."

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor in astonishment, "Matthew? When? Where?"

"On this very carriage-- nearly a year ago."

"What did he say to you?" I asked.

The boy's face fell, "Nothing… I just saw him, is all."

I rolled my eyes, and suddenly having gotten used to the faces' constant staring, I settled in, and drifted off into a strange and dreamless sleep.


	11. An Unwanted Guide

_Chapter 11: An Unwanted Guide_

The carriage soon slowed, and began its long decent back towards the ground.

My eyes immediately snapped open upon feeling the change in the smoothness of the ride, and I then stole a quick glance outside of the window. It was nearing dawn, as the sun was rising; I had obviously slept through the night-- raking my mind, I realized that my sleep had been peaceful and blank; a good indication that nothing worse was beginning to take place. The carriage was seeming to be going back and forth in all directions; a bumpy ride that made me queasy-- my first motion sickness experience; maybe it had to do with the fact that my nervousness was at an all time high. I clutched the pouch tighter to my breast, now fearful that the carriage might explode or something before touching the soft muddy ground.

My fears unfounded, the carriage made a smooth landing upon the ground, and the doors were opened by the man I immediately recognized as the silhouette I had seen through the dark piece of glass that had kept us separated from him during our journey here; the driver.

He was a nice, well-to-do man, and he was exceedingly polite to me as he helped me from out of the stuffy carriage. I silently thanked him for my safety by handing him a small golden coin; one of many that the Queen had given me the previous day. He smiled, showing a yellow set of teeth, with several missing, and I returned the smile-- falsely however, for I simply wasn't in a smiling mood today.

Everybody, other than the young boy got off at this stop, and judging by his grumbles, I sensed that he felt great resentment towards me for taking out about five minutes from his "busy" life; as he waited, two more passengers joined him; an ancient man and woman who stole a glance at me before climbing into the carriage, and taking the empty seats across from him; I rolled my eyes in actual amazement-- did _everyone _know who I was?

After having shaken my hand firmly as a goodbye, the driver climbed into the front of the carriage, and I waved with the two obese women out of courtesy, as he closed the door of the enchanted carriage, and flew away into the lightening skies. It was then that I realized that I had no clue where he had left us; I hadn't really been given a grand tour of the world of the faerie, having only visited the palace on both occasions I had been there.

Turning to one of my fellow passengers to inquire as to our whereabouts, I realized that they had left already; obviously not wanting to keep me company, and I was now stranded in the strange surroundings by my lonesome. I heaved a heavy sigh, and then deciding not to let it get me too down, got a good look around me. I was in a village of some sort at the edge of a large forest. There was an inn, a café, and a man standing around in front of it. I snatched my pouch from off of the ground where I had left it, finding it to be both mud and grass stained, and ventured nearer towards the handsome man, hoping that he wasn't a serial killer or anything. He looked pleasant enough, "Excuse me…?" I began, but my timid voice was drowned out by his own booming one. He was screaming a name over and over again, and it was becoming quite unbearable to listen. After having come into a close enough range of his voice, I realized whose name he was calling; it was _mine._

"**_BEATRICE!" _**he screamed, **_"BEATRICE HOROWITZ!" _**I shook my head in dismay at the notion that he was searching for me, and answered, "I'm Beatrice," I whispered, timidly, and noticing me, he turned around, "My, my," he began; I realized that he spoke with a heavy accent-- a somewhat unpleasant cross between French and German. It irked me; the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as he continued-- I wasn't being prejudice or anything; the voice was simply unnerving to hear, "I was not told how beautiful you were."

_Oh, great, _I thought, and he grabbed my hand, and bent his head down low to kiss it. I was disgusted by this rather bold move, and after having torn my hand from out of his, I casually wiped it off on the inseam of the blouse I was wearing, "Pardon my rudeness," I whispered, really not giving a damn of what he thought of me, "but why are you here and why were you looking for me?"

He chuckled to himself, "How rude of _me!" _he exclaimed, "But of course… but of course, we have not been properly introduced! I am the Viscount de Long Pre, and I have been asked by my aunt, the Queen of the faerie to escort you during your journey to find your missing lover-- I am a guide, of sorts."

"Guide…?" I asked, raising a single eyebrow, "I am afraid she failed to mention that you--"

"She told me that you had not been alerted to my intentions!" he interrupted in a smarmy way, and I felt like slapping him across his smug face. He was quite condescending, and his voice was becoming increasingly painful to my ears, "After having seen you leave the palace upon the carriage, I am afraid that she realized that you would need some assistance along the way-- and what better way for a man of my status-- _and quite single," _he added, winking, "to spend a few weeks in the company of a pretty lady?"

"I'm afraid that I am not flattered," I whispered, angrily. What had REHtoMna been thinking…? Sending me off with an annoying little flea like this! I would simply _have _to have a long talk with her in my first letter. That was for _damn _sure, but for now-- just for now, I had to at least try to make the best of things. My stomach was growling with hunger, and I was feeling sicker than ever with my pregnancy-- or maybe it had simply been worsened by the Viscount's company-- I couldn't be too sure.

Trying to seem like a gentleman, and smiling as if he thought I had somehow been turned on by his false charm, he took my pouch from me, and groaned under its heaviness, though I was pretty sure it couldn't way more than fifteen pounds or so.

Trying my very best not to laugh, I opened my mouth to ask him where, exactly, we were, "So, what is this place, and where are we going?"

"This is the charming villa of Sentika, and we are here to rest for a day, and get a good meal in our bellies before venturing into the wood-- from there, we will attempt to retrace your departed lover's footsteps, and will hopefully be back at the palace for a romantic afternoon tea sometime next week."

I was horrified. _A 'romantic' tea, _I thought, _Who does this guy think he is…? And, fuck, is he insinuating that he thinks my husband-- yes, husband. _Not _lover is dead…?_

"I would sincerely enjoy for you _not _to speak to me so," I hissed, and with that, I snatched my pouch back, deciding I did not want his slimy hands on it, and then gestured for him to lead the way to our first destination.

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After having breakfasted at the café, he led me into the inn, and while he was upstairs fixing up our rooms, I chatted with the warm woman who ran the place. I found that her husband had mysteriously died many years before, leaving her widowed, and she had been forced to reinvent herself, and start her life anew. I took an immediate liking to the woman, and was of course quite glad that I was no longer in the company of the Viscount or whatever title he had-- he was quite annoying. After having refused that I pay for my room, he had flashed his bulging coin-purse in front of me, as if I would be impressed by it. I found it to be quite feminine, and I couldn't help but turn red from trying not to laugh in front of him; mistaking this for a rosy blush, he had paid for the rooms, and smiling wide as if he had finally won my love, had rushed up the stairs telling me to sit, while he made everything "perfect."

"Thirsty?" she suddenly asked, pulling out a large bottle of booze, and two crystal tumblers, after the Viscount had disappeared up the stairs.

"No thank you," I replied, "I don't drink too much."

"Are you sure?" she asked, "It'll be on the house-- it's the best in the town; manufactured by my brother and his wife."

"I'm sure," I replied.

"Suit yourself," she said, shrugging her shoulders, and then pouring herself an entire tumbler of the stuff; she drained it in three noisy gulps, swayed a bit, and then returned to her normal self, after having put the glasses and bottle away under the table; I noticed that there were many other bottles; some taller, some smaller-- she was obviously the barmaid as well as the manager, "Now, your companion," the woman suddenly said, lowering her voice, "I can't say I know what you see in him-- he's always here with some new dame every week-- although he's currently married to his twenty-third wife."

"Oh, really?" I asked, grinning, and then becoming horrified, "Oh, no," I whispered, "I'm not infatuated with him or anything-- actually, I think he's a pompous loser. I'm only stuck with him because a relative of his though it best that he escort me while I--" I hesitated, and then deciding not to reveal my intentions, I lied, "--am escorted to my husband's parents to spend a few days with them."

"Oh?" she asked, returning to her warm smile, "Well, just as a warning, girl-- watch him. He seems to have his eyes set on you, and in all my life, if I know one thing, it's this: Whatever the Viscount de Long Pre wants, he'll somehow get it eventually-- no matter the cost."

"Don't worry about me," I whispered, my eyes lighting up with all of the new information I had just received concerning my newest enemy, "I'm pretty sure that I can resist his-- _charms."_


	12. Flirtations and Departure

_Chapter 12: Flirtations and Departure_

That evening, I took a break from my nightly routine of tormenting myself over my condition to sit down, and recount the days' happenings to REHtoMna.

I took out a piece of parchment, the pen, and carefully unscrewed the lid from off of the pot of ink to ensure that I would not stain the bed sheets. I dipped the pen into the pot, and began to write:

_Arrived quite early today. Ate breakfast after being found by your nephew--_ _I wish you would have warned me about him, as he is quite-- a lot to handle. Things are going well so far. Staying in a small inn with him in the adjourning room. Supped earlier this evening. Not much happened today. We will be leaving tomorrow to find Matthew. I hope that this letter finds you well. Thank you for everything._

_I remain,_

_Beatrice_

I set down the pen, and unsure of the procedure on how to transport the message back to her, I folded it in half… In a puff of white smoke that nearly gave me a heart attack, the piece of parchment disappeared and I knew that it was on its way to my confident-- if you could call her that. I had _not _been very truthful in my letter. Things were _not _going well with that perverted nephew of hers, whom I had learned was old enough to be my grand-father, and only looked so young due to the beauty of magic. He disgusted me.

I simply just didn't feel like telling REHtoMna about him just yet; after all, I _did _need him for now… But that simply did not give him the excuse to do what he was doing…

As our separate bedrooms were connected by a door, he had attempted several times to burst in on me, and catch me in the nude. On these three occasions-- for I had decided to count them carefully, and keep note of them for future reference, if need be, he had been unsuccessful, but all the same, it turned my stomach at the thought of sleeping practically beside him at night. He was a vile creature-- despicable, actually. The way he thought that he could--

But my thoughts were interrupted as in a second puff of white smoke, a second piece of parchment appeared in my still open hands. I carefully unfolded it, and read:

_Beatrice,_

_I am ecstatic that you are not too angry with me for sending him along to be your guide. I write this letter in a hurry, as things are busy back home._

_Until tomorrow,_

_REHtoMna_

I chuckled at her formal, yet sloppy handwriting, and rolled the piece of parchment into a ball, and tossed it into the roaring fireplace. The little inn in which we were now staying was quite quaint and well-kept. I was glad that we had stayed here, as the woman who ran it was quite nice and warm towards me; we had spent the evening chatting, before the Viscount had insisted I go to bed. My room was quite large, and the sheets were beautiful; the reason I had practiced safety measures with ink. The only part about the inn that I despised was my companion-- I blew out the candle that had helped me write my letter by providing light, and deciding to leave the fireplace well be, as it was beginning to die down, settled between two sheets, thinking about the horny man in the next room over-- maybe, if I was lucky enough, he would somehow suffocate in the middle of the night, and I would no longer be bothered with him…

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"_My love, my love!" I scream, and at last-- at long last, I am once again back in his arms. We embrace, and he kisses me upon the lips. I melt into his body. Our love is safe now… He is safe, and he is mine…_

_Suddenly, however, his face grows dark, "But you know that this is only a dream, don't you?"_

"_No," I whisper, kissing his neck, "No. No."_

"_It is-- and you are still in danger, as am I."_

"_Where are you then? Tell me. Please tell me."_

_His face lights up with a smile again, "You know that I can't."_

"_Please," I whisper, "Please!" I scream, as he disappears, and I am left alone. Alone-- alone…_

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My eyes snapped open, and for a second, I wondered if it had been the troubling dream that had woken me, but then I realized that certain-- _sounds _were coming from the other room, and they alone had been responsible for my waking-- I will refrain from describing them in great detail for now, but I am sure that you can imagine what I heard.

At long last, the sounds subsided, and I drifted off towards a peaceful, dreamless sleep…

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"Wake up, dear," the voice makes me groan as my eyes snap open, and I am once again alert to everything that is going on… _That's right, _I think as I remember the previous days' occurrences, _Him-- that Viscount…_

"Repack your things," he's being bossy now-- pushy. I want to get up, and kick him right in his ugly face, but instead, as polite as I can be, I reply, "All right… I'll be ready in a few minutes."

He leaves the room, and I blockade the door that connects our room by temporarily moving my bed to right in front of the door. I don't care who the fuck he says he is. I am _not _going to let him bust into my room just so he can live out his sick fantasies by seeing me naked.

I hear his intense struggle a few moments later as he attempts to open the door. I laugh to myself, _Serves him right-- the sicko, _a few minutes later, I am ready just as the clock in the hall chimes six times. _It's still early, _I realize, groaning, as I pull back the curtains in the window to reveal nothing but darkness outside, _Great-- the first day of many begins with the Great Pervert. _

I sigh; move the bed back to its original space, and as soon as I have done so, the door opens to reveal the Viscount. I grin at him, maliciously… If he insists on being a pest, then he has even more hell in store for him, "Ready?" I asked, but he was clearly not pleased with my harmless prank to ensure that he could not lay his eyes on me when not fully clothed, "You think that was funny, you little slut?" he asked, grabbing me by the arm, and twisting it until I cried out in pain, "You think that was funny?" he exclaimed, turning me around, and forcing me against the wall. I cried out in fright, as his hands formed fists, and beat me across the back several times. Tears formed in my eyes, and for the first time, I was scared for the thing growing inside of me-- I didn't care if I aborted it or not. It did not-- simply did _not _deserve to have its life end in a way like this.

"And you're not going to tell anyone what happened here, are you?" he demanded, twisting my arm once again behind my back, _"Are you?"_

I nodded my head, he left the room, and I began to cry bitterly over the great mess I had landed in; I was pregnant, my husband was missing, and now, I was subject to the physical abuse inflicted upon me by a man three times my age.

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The barmaid and manager of the inn greeted us; my bruises were well-concealed behind my clothes, and I tried my best to smile at her; pretending that nothing terrible had happened, but it was difficult. She did not return the smile, and I saw that she had dark bags under her eyes, and appeared to be groggy as hell, "Long night?" I whispered, trying to sound normal.

She nodded, and the Viscount cut her off before she could reply, "That's enough chit-chat for now, Beatrice… We must be on our way after all."

I rolled my eyes at his behavior, and nodded.

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After having squared our leaving the inn, it's about seven in the morning, and without exchanging a single word-- thank God, I follow the Viscount out of the inn, and into the fresh morning air; my back is throbbing and bruised, and I am still very fearful for the life growing within me.

Already knowing where we're headed, I follow him into the dense cluster of trees that makes up the forest… it is then that he begins speaking to me again, "Your lover, Matthew-- after having returned from a then recent battle, stayed in that inn for nearly a week… It was then said that he was spotted wandering into the woods at dawn." Now he was acting as if his terrible beating of me not even hours before hadn't ever happened-- as well as his insatiable desire for me; he pulled out a silver flask, unscrewed it, and took a deep swig.

"Mm-hmm," I replied, looking wildly around me at the forest, and trying to ignore the fact that he was determined to grab my hand whenever it lingered at my side, "Would you _please _stop that?" I demanded, angrily, and then-- (although it wasn't a big surprise), he acted completely innocent by shrugging his shoulders. I groaned, and by motioning with my hands that he wasn't allowed to follow me, I wandered off of the path to get rid of the vomit that was stuck in my throat…

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Hours passed, and nothing… No sign of Matthew; it was expected, of course, so I was not too very disappointed, but all the same, I continued to hope and pray that due to some miracle, he would suddenly reappear, and kick the Viscount's ass for his flirtations and actions towards me.

We walked for nearly six hours straight without stopping; the Viscount, obviously, was quite out of shape, but pressed on, still trying his best to impress me; including showing off a faintly familiar gold ring that had been in his generation for centuries, and would be mine if I agreed to sleep with him just once; all the while trying to make me show something other than hatred towards him. However, I refused… of course. Was he infatuated with me? Hell, no. He wanted me to be yet another notch in his belt of whores, simple-minded women, wives, and other less knowledgeable idiot women he had actually been able to fuck simply by asking… He was a predator, if that was the word for him. He made my stomach knot up in much uneasiness.

He continually attempted to grope at me, and I was successful on each of these occurrences to simply slap his hand away or just pretend as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened in order to evade his wrath, and hopefully discourage any further horny antics. Maybe he hadn't slept with anyone in a day or two… I doubted it, since I had heard moans coming from the adjourning room in the inn the previous night which probably meant that he had hired a prostitute to "satisfy his needs."

Eventually, we came to stop in front of a small stream to have some lunch. I picked a handful of berries, knowing that they were not edible, and watched as he ate each and every one of them, and after several trips off of the path to "freshen up," we were on our way once again.

Still laughing at the distress I had caused, I nevertheless followed him. If I had to give a compliment to the guy, it was that he had a pretty good sense of direction. He knew which path to take, and which path to avoid at all costs. He would not be a bad choice for a guide-- ignoring the fact that all the while, he only truly had his mind on one thing…

At sunset, we came to a crossroads of sort; there were two roads. One leading to the right, and one leading to the left-- for some reason, and I am unsure why to this day, I felt, in my heart, that the left road was the one that Matthew had taken, but the Viscount disagreed. He told me point blank that it was simply more logical for Matthew to have traveled down the one to the right, as it was the more popular, and less dangerous of the two.

After about a quarter of an hour of arguing, he decided it would be best if we set up camp here, and chose the road we would take the following morning. I simply was _not _content with this arrangement. I soon found that he had brought along items to assemble only one tent, so I would be forced to sleep directly alongside him, and there was no way to avoid this, for I discovered, when first entering the tent, it was a very, very, _very _small enclosed space, and it would be uncomfortable as hell trying to sleep that night.

As I wrote my second letter to REHtoMna, declining to alert her to the physical abuse and sexual advances I had endured that day, I saw that the Viscount was drinking more and more from the silver flask that seemed to refill itself each time he emptied it. He lay down on the ground outside, looking up at the stars, and continued to drink until his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he passed out.

Disgusted, I folded the letter, watched it disappear, and then wandered back into the tent, hoping that I would be deprived of his company for the night. I stretched out on the floor, and soon fell asleep.

A few hours later, it began to rain outside, and sadly, that woke the Viscount… Holding my breath, and hoping that he wouldn't, he nevertheless entered the tent, and lay down beside me, "Sleep well, pretty girl… We have a long day ahead of us," I shuddered, hoping that it wouldn't go any further than that.

The materials used to construct the tent had obviously been intended for one man or woman, so I was forced to squeeze in beside him, and I felt his body beside me all night long; I could smell the stench of whiskey upon his breath, and it filled me with dread of what was to come; now that he was no longer sober, I knew that anything could happen… A couple of times, I could have sworn I felt his hand gently caressing down my back… He was disgusting. A regular pedophile, as I was so much younger than he.

I grew even more frightened of him; my eyes widened as I felt his arms searching my front; pulling me closer to him still in a tight embrace, and it was then, that he fell asleep, and his loud snores filled the tent.

I began to cry.

I was scared shitless now. This man-- if you could even call him that as he was so very vile was dangerous and I sensed that if I remained in his company for even another day, his sexual advances would worsen, and if I was caught off guard, he would get what he wanted easily…

I was so weak. So weak. The fact that I was pregnant no longer scared me-- not when compared to this. He had been violent with me; he had beaten me, and I had the black and blue bruises across my back to prove it if anyone doubted me in the future; they would probably remain for a few weeks as they were so bad. He was sick in the head-- demented. He was obviously quite powerful in society, and like so many others, power had corrupted him.

It was then and there that I decided. No matter what the cost. No matter how difficult it would become, I would leave his company as soon as the chance arose-- I would have left then and there, but I knew that as he had held me in such a tight embrace, he would most likely be awoken if I stood to leave, and even if I got past him, he would realize, and immediately try to stop me.

For now, I had to wait…

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Sometime around dawn, he rose again, and left the makeshift tent.

Thanking the berries, for I knew they were responsible, I seized my chance; gathering all of my possessions together, and carefully putting them back into my pouch, and then I made to leave.

Somehow, however, on my way out of the tent, he spotted me as I made to set down the path he had deemed "far too dangerous." My heart sinking into my stomach, I tried to ignore him, but he was screaming, "Where are you going?" he grabbed me by the arm, and spun me around to face him. His eyes were red and wild-- he was obviously still hung-over.

"I'm leaving," I said simply.

"Who do you think you are, little girl?" he asked, angrily.

"I'm not sure-- at the moment, but I know that I'm not afraid of you anymore-- in fact, I never was, you know why? You're a sickening little cowardly pedophile, and I'm not going to let you control me or beat me anymore."

"Please," his face suddenly changed, "Please… I'm sorry for hitting you-- it's just I've never loved--"

"You're so full of shit! Why don't you tell that to your twenty two ex-wives-- and that slut you were fucking last night--? How many more were there other than her? Hundreds? Thousands?"

"For your information, that was _not _a common slut… That was the little barmaid you made friends with only hours before-- all it took was a slip of a special powder into her evening cup of tea, and she was mine for the night-- she was curvy… She said I was the best she'd ever had-- although that might have been the powder."

"You sick fuck," I hissed, "you're so disgusting-- So, you're a rapist as well? I can't say I'm not surprised. Don't follow me," and I turned around again, infuriated that he had hurt the woman who had become my friend.

"Come on, Beatrice…" he suddenly plead, "Don't walk away from me… Can't we at least be friends?"

"No… I don't want your friendship, and I don't want you in my life anymore."

"Fine then. Fine. You think you can survive out there, you little whore…? You think that you could _possibly _make it? You don't these woods… You won't last a day."

"Really?" I asked, "I think you're wrong. I've survived many times before. I've braved deserts, and I've braved forests, and they're all the same… so get your filthy hands from off of me, and forget you ever met me," I wrenched out of out of his grasp, and began running away, knowing that he was still too disoriented to follow me… for now…


	13. The Other Road

_Chapter 13: The Other Road_

After having made completely sure that he had not overcome his hangover, and had decided to follow me down the narrow road to kill me or rape me, or whatever he had in mind, I slowed my sprint down to a quick run, and then a steady walk, knowing that I was safe from him. I blinked the last of the angry tears out of my eyes, and felt the tension I had felt within me quickly dissipating until it was no more.

_Well, here I am, _I thought, smiling a true smile to myself, _Free at last… free at last, and he can't stop me, _the sun was beginning to shine through the gaps between the treetops, and it felt good on my face. The bruises on my back would eventually begin to fade, and for the first time since my arrival, I had not suffered morning sickness, and to top it all off, ditching that sickening Viscount had filled me with such a powerful energy that I felt better than I had since my childhood. I was untouchable, and he knew it.

Everything was going my way now. I felt that I was drawing nearer towards the truth of Matthew's disappearance. I felt that every single step I was now taking had been taken by Matthew in the recent past, and somehow, deep down in my heart, I sensed that he was still alive-- he might be in danger, but he was still alive, and he knew that I was doing everything in my power to find him again, and that was all that mattered to me.

And, I also knew that abortion was ridiculous. The baby I now carried was ours, and chances were high that I was going to keep it, and raise it. I now wanted to. It would be difficult, yes, but it deserved a chance at life, and my eyes had been opened to that, for some strange reason, by the Viscount's abuse; it had made me fear miscarriage, although I was now confident that the baby had survived, and was going to be fine.

However, I still was not whole. My body was aching from fatigue and hunger; I had barely eaten at all since the breakfast we ate at the café, and I had walked nearly all day yesterday, and had a pretty good head start for today-- and I had barely been able to sleep the night before because of the sickening embrace that had kept me close to the pig-- not to mention his obnoxious snores that had distressed me even more.

I yawned, and realized how nice a good sleep would do me…

It was pretty dangerous risking laying down and sleeping with the fiendish Viscount relatively nearby, but he simply was not as intelligent as I. I had been fighting shaskas for years with success, and as he was _no _shaska-- a faerie man with disgusting fantasies, I was not in as much danger, and besides, I had cleverly nicked his knife in case I needed it to defend myself against him if he decided to follow me again-- for some ominous reason, I _knew _that he would end up following me, and there would be quite a battle if he tried anything again… Next time I was sent on a journey, it would _definitely _be myself-- no matter who or what REHtoMna thought able to assist me. This guy had turned out to be an abusive pervert, and I simply didn't need crap like that in my condition. It was more than enough to make me want to scream.

So, since I was now overcome with a wave of sleepiness, I would simply wander off the path, and sleep well hidden, so if he came along the path, he simply wouldn't be able to see me, and since he would probably start his drinking as soon as he could walk without staggering, he probably wouldn't be too fussy over small details-- and he probably wouldn't realize what I could do with some bushes to cover me.

Carefully noting my current position on the road, so that I would not become lost off it, I stepped off of it, and wandered off, until I found a couple of blackberry bushes that were dark and ripened. After having had my fill of the sweet berries, I tucked myself beneath the leafy branches, and drifted off to sleep relatively fast…

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"_Beatrice, my love, you are closer-- closer to the truth…"_

"_Matthew? Is that you? Are you all right?" I run towards his voice, and find him sprawled across the floor, almost frozen, "Oh, my God! What has happened to you?"_

"_They're keeping me here like this to prevent me from getting away to rejoin you."_

"_Matthew, I'm frightened-- Please come back to me. Please tell me where you are so that I can find you quickly… I don't want them to hurt you anymore, Matthew. I don't want you to be in pain."_

"_I'm fine, Beatrice. Really-- I'd worry more for myself if I were you. There are traps they have planned along the way to the second half of the prophecy. You are in more danger with each passing second. You must awaken, and continue your journey down the path. Hurry."_

"_Please, don't make me-- Matthew, please… I love--"_

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Before I can finish my sentence, my eyes have snapped open, and I find that I have slept for many hours, as it is dark again. It is already dusk. I groan in anger-- _Why can't he just tell me what's happening to him? _I wondered, sitting up, and pulling a sweater from out of my pouch, as it's freezing cold in the forest now, _Why can't he just tell me so that I can find him faster…? _I slip into the light-blue sweater, and hoping that the Viscount is not around for miles, I stand on two shaking legs, pluck about a dozen berries from off of the bushes, and chew them thoughtfully, _He looked so pale, and so fucking thin-- he was thinner than back in D'Nalge-- what the fuck have they been doing to him?_

Bitter tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to allow myself to cry-- I simply cannot cry. Not yet. Not today; I need to be strong. For myself, for Matthew, and especially for the baby who has so rapidly changed my life simply by being conceived.

I placed my hand to my stomach, and feeling a sudden wave of maternal instinct, whisper, "Don't worry… Don't worry. I promise that I'll find your father, and I'll bring him back."

I want to laugh at the corniness of my words, but I choose not to.

It's sweet, in a way. After having despised the baby for so long, I have learned to love it-- I have learned to love the burden growing inside of me, and now am happy for it. It's pushing me further forward now-- it's making me want to find Matthew and the truth now more than ever before.


	14. Being Followed

_Chapter 14: Being Followed_

After having completed my nightly ritual of writing to the Queen, and having read her short response, I stood, and began walking again. The path seemed long, and I was worried that I might not be able to complete it for another couple of days… REHtoMna's letter had proved useless; she obviously did not know about my leaving the Viscount, and I didn't bother relating the events to her for I knew it would probably cause even more trouble-- and it was bother enough knowing that he would eventually catch up to me again… If luck would somehow decide to enter my life in the near future, leading me to finding Matthew again, then upon re-arrival at the palace, I would tell the Queen all about the Viscount's "antics," and then make it my duty to have him incarcerated… or burned at the stake… or whatever they did to rapists here.

I stretched and yawned; other than the troubling dream that had nonetheless proved Matthew's survival, the day had gone relatively well. I was still pretty safe from whatever had been stalking me-- the creature with red eyes, I mean, and I had at last accepted my pregnancy-- it actually made me feel more confident, knowing that a piece of Matthew remained with me, no matter what would happen to him-- and if luck _did _enter my life, even for a fraction of a second at the right time, _nothing _would happen to him.

I smiled contentedly to myself, and then there was a troubling sound that erupted the serenity of the evening wood into madness-- caught off my guard, I gasped, and looked wildly about me-- there was a figure, in the distance, stumbling around the bushes off the side of the road. Whoever it was-- and I was pretty sure I knew who it was, he or she wasn't much of an outdoorsman. And, it wasn't the same creature who had plagued me back on the earth, for it lacked those burning red eyes-- I could see that even from here, about ten yards away from it. _Wait one fucking second, _I suddenly thought, _What the hell are you doing just standing there waiting for it to catch up to you…? _

My inner conscience was absolutely right; after all, I couldn't just wait for the Viscount to catch up to me, and attempt to rape me or beat me or kill me-- or all three… I had to run for my life to ensure that none of the three possibilities would be made realities-- _ever. _That was who I was. Beatrice Horowitz didn't wait around for danger to catch up to her… Over ten years of experience had taught me this.

Feeling a great rush of adrenaline, I began running as fast as my two feet could handle. Before knowing it, I was out of breath, having never been much of a runner, and slowed down just a bit. I knew that the Viscount was trailing behind me-- not too close behind, though, for otherwise, he probably would have started screaming at me as soon as I was in earshot again with that overly fake-sounding accent of his.

My side was aching, and my stomach was cramping up, but I refused to stop running, and give him a better chance at finding me faster. I knew that the road had already gone on for nearly twenty miles, and I was longing to come to another crossroads. Only then, would it be a little bit easier to shake him off indefinitely.

For now, however, I would be forced to simply run and wait.

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But, something was trying to prevent me from making it to another crossroads before resting; once again, I felt a horrible wave of sleepiness, and I knew that it was a spell-- and although I knew it was Matthew's doing, I nevertheless wanted to ignore it, but I couldn't, for the spell was far too powerful.

Deciding that a little snooze would be perfectly safe if it only lasted for a couple minutes-- five at the most, I veered off course, and found another set of bushes to sleep under. As soon as my eyes closed, I fell into a deep sleep, and was immediately greeted by the troubling form of Matthew.

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"_You came to me," he whispered._

"_Yes," I replied, "but, Matthew, I haven't much time-- I am being followed by--"_

"_That does not matter," his face is scarred now; I want to cry at the troubling sight of him. There is a long cut across his cheek, and it is fresh, for it is still bleeding, "What have they done--" I begin, but he cuts me off again, "Beatrice, you will leave the forest by tomorrow afternoon, and you will come to a crossroads of sorts. At the end of the forest, there is a great ocean. _You must avoid the ocean at all costs," _he warns, and I nod in response, trusting his judgments, "Instead, take the other path, and that will soon lead you to what you seek."_

"_Yes, but Matthew, can't you tell me--"_

"_You will awaken now… Be quick. Be brave."_

_And with that, true to his word, I am hurtling from the darkness, and into light…_

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My eyes snapped open, and I immediately stood.

Opposed to the last vision I had had of Matthew, this one did not take as long, for it was still pitch-black outside; I realize that I have only slept for about three minutes or so, if that. _The ocean, _I thought, remembering his warning, _I must avoid the ocean like the plague…_ I began running again, and was soon on the path again, as if no time had passed.

Counting my blessings, I quickened my pace, still trying to make up for lost time. That bastard, the Viscount was probably drunk as could be, and would be overly angry with me for having had left him to be all on his own.

I sneezed, obviously allergic to something in the forest, and then heard an annoying and overly familiar voice behind me that simply couldn't belong to the Viscount as it was too feminine, "Beatrice…?" It whispered, "Is that you? I have news for you concerning your missing husband."

It was useless. I was trapped now, and there was no point in continuing my attempt to get away. I took in a deep breath, dreading whoever the person was, and then, _Wait a second, _I thought, _Is that--_

I turned around, instantly recognizing the voice, but it simply couldn't be! I was off my rocker to think that-- but all the same, it looked just like her! The figure was cloaked, with her face hidden by a dark hood, but that didn't hide the fact that she was quick, tall, and extremely awkward. But I couldn't be one hundred percent sure; maybe it was just an uncanny resemblance. No. Despite my disbelief, I knew full well who it was…


	15. An Unexpected Guest

_Chapter 15: An Unexpected Guest_

"_You?" _I demanded in disbelief, as I tore the hood from off of her face just to make sure, but my initial suspicions had been quite right, and I actually gasped in disbelief as the hood fell to reveal the smug face of… _Jessica; _the bitch who had made me her family slave all those years ago in D'Nalge, "What's with the getup?" I asked, backing away from her as she attempted to clap a hand on my shoulder-- maybe she still was under the impression that I wanted to be "friends." How whimsical.

"What? That Elaine woman told me to be discreet-- I did my best, you know."

"Well, there's a fine line between discreet and stupid-- and I'm pretty sure you've crossed it," I paused, still shocked by her sudden intrusion back into my life, "So, what the hell are you doing here?"

"As I said before I was-- _accosted," _I rolled my eyes at her use of the extremely melodramatic word given the circumstances, and began to listen, as she spun me her urgent tale, "I have news concerning your missing husband."

"Do you now?" I asked, wondering why, in God's name, Elaine had chosen _her _to be the messenger of all people-- the greatest dunce I had ever known…! The borderline alcoholic who had accused me of stealing away her prince, and demanded gold from me during one of the toughest moments in my life-- had Elaine hallucinated, and imagined me praising the girl instead of shunning her? I was fuming with anger, "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" I asked, angrily.

"Ever heard of time travel?" she asked, smirking, as I rolled my eyes once again, "Well, since you've come here, make with the news, and then get the hell away from me," I whispered, wanting to pound her face with my bare fists.

"You don't have to be so shirty with me, servant-girl… Don't use such tones when conversing with your betters."

I snorted at her smugness, as she continued-- at least Jessica's vanity was always good for a laugh-- given that she had nothing to be vain for, "Elaine came to me this evening, and told me to come here and find you to deliver her message as it is too dangerous for her to do so otherwise."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning that she can't come to you herself-- and neither can that Queen of yours, and what a common name! In all my days, I never--"

"Get to the goods, Jessica. I haven't all day."

"Anyway, Elaine told me to warn you against any dreams you might receive from now on… She said something about shaska interference," she took a dramatic pause after having used the dreaded word, "Is that all?" I asked, bluntly, breaking the over-the-top silence.

She shook her head, causing her mousy brown curls to bounce, "No, and be a bit more patient, when _I'm _the one doing _you _the favor-- just like always."

"Excuse me?" I asked, "Since when were _you _a perfect person towards me?"

"I rescued you from the forest, remember? I gave you a steady job, and--"

"Sorry I asked. Continue with your monologue, and be quick about it. Once again, I don't have all day."

"She told me that after you have exited the forest, you must cross the sea to find the remainder of the prophecy, and that--"

"I don't believe you," I whispered, "Matthew told me that--"

"Did you ever stop to think that it was a trick?" she asked, pulling out a folded piece of paper sealed in wax, "Even read it-- I think you would trust Elaine," I broke the seal, and quickly read over the letter. It was written in Elaine's own hand; (I knew this from looking through her several notes in the cottage when I had resided with her), so it was pretty much legitimate. The shaska had somehow tampered with Matthew, and thus had tampered with his message. It was all a trap, and had it not been for the stupid bitch standing in front of me, I probably would have wandered off into an almost sure death. I had to give her credit for that, "Thank you for this information," I grunted, not wanting to give her thanks, as I tucked the letter into my pocket.

"She also asked me to give you these," she handed me a small ax, and a length of rope, "To construct the raft, of course," she said, after seeing the look of confusion in my eyes.

"Oh, of course," I whispered, wanting to laugh at my own foolishness, as I slipped the rope away, and held onto the ax, in case the knife wouldn't be enough for future protection against the beast who was probably following my every footstep; keen on catching me off guard.

"Well then, I suppose I'll be on my way," she whispered, and she turned.

"Wait, Jessica," I whispered, grabbing her arm before she could leave, "Did you happen to have seen a man along the way?"

"Man?" she asked, turning to face me once again, "What man?"

The look of stupidity in her eyes was sincere, so I decided to believe her, "Never mind," I whispered; she lingered, "You may leave now."

"Don't be so pushy," she said, and with a wave of her hands, she disappeared in a great flash of white light-- most likely back to her parents and their manor.

I stared at the spot where she had stood only moments before, and suddenly had a twang of fear in the pit of my stomach-- for some odd reason, I had the feeling that she had been lying about meeting up with the Viscount on the way.

No, I was being stupid. She would have told me. After all, she had been sent here to protect me, and give me advice, hadn't she…? She wouldn't have betrayed--

And then, a low voice whispered my name from just a few feet behind me, and I realized that she had indeed lied.


	16. A Second Encounter with the Beast

_Chapter 16: A Second Encounter with the Beast_

Well, it _had _been quite expected, but all the same, as I turned around to face one of the few men I truly feared with all my heart, I couldn't help but to be a bit surprised, "Hello, my dear," he whispered, steadily approaching me, and then seizing me by the arm once again, and twisting it, until he was satisfied with my cry of pain, "Missed me?" he asked, intensifying the twist, and then dropping my arm to let it dangle, "I can't _believe _that you honestly thought that you could escape me," he hissed. It was nearing dawn; I could see the light of the sun through the trees… _I probably won't live to see another day, _I thought, frightened, "I must say that the girls in modern times are much more-- _foolish _than they were when I was a youth," he brought his lips close to me-- nearly kissing me, but I was able to back away just in time, only catching the pungent odor that I quickly recognized.

His breath smelt strongly of the whiskey he had been drinking, and there was a wild mad look in his eyes that filled me with utter dread-- they hungered for me, and he knew that I sensed this, "I bet you thought you were _awful _clever," he whispered, knocking the ax I held from out of my hands, and onto the damp ground, "They always do, after all," and then, to my surprise, he threw me down onto the ground beside the axe, pinning me down with his weight.

"Why don't you leave me the _fuck _alone?" I hissed through my teeth as my vision swam before my eyes dotted with small, painful stars, "I've done nothing to you that you didn't deserve. I had to get away from you because you're a threat to me and my baby."

"Baby?" he asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes, I'm pregnant. And, if you jeopardize its life--"

"You needn't worry about its life, Beatrice. It can't feel-- it can't see-- I'd worry more about myself if I were you. Only you will feel the pain today."

"Get the fuck off of me, and leave me be."

He laughed, "Begging will get you nowhere, Beatrice… You should know that by now. You're old enough to know that, aren't you?" and I began to scream, as I felt his hands slide up my back, and begin to unzip the back of the strange shirt I had been given by REHtoMna, "Please," I begged, now completely frightened of the agonizing pain that was clearly ahead, "Don't do this… Don't do this…"

I shivered, gently, feeling my bare exposed back in the cold air; goose bumps immediately formed, and I knew that the worse had not yet passed. I continued to scream as he continued to laugh at my fright; I had read about rape-- seen it in film and on television, but it couldn't happen-- it simply couldn't happen to me. I wouldn't let it. I wouldn't let it damage my life. I wouldn't let it cause me more grief than I already felt, "Please get away from me," I whispered, as he continued to tear at my shirt, until he had successfully gotten it off of me, "You don't want to do this to me-- You do _not _want to do this to me…"

"That's where you're wrong, Beatrice. I _do _want to do this to you, and I _will _do this to you. I am of Royal Blood, and I always get what I want-- I want to make you hurt. I want to make you scream-- just like all the others."

"So, this is what you do to people…? This is what you honestly enjoy, you sick bastard?"

He didn't respond, but instead continued with his story as if he had not heard me speak, "That girl-- _Jesse, _was that it? Not the prettiest thing-- not you, of course… It was easy to persuade her to get her to help me find you again-- not that I didn't know where you were, but as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not the quickest man alive, and I needed assistance in that department. She told me that she had sworn to that bitch, Elaine that she wouldn't betray you, but after I promised her the heavy gold ring on my finger, after having slept with her to seal the deal, she promised me that if I trailed behind her, she would have caught up with you in a few hours or so, and would hold you up in one spot so that I could take you as soon as she left."

"I see that you and that backstabbing bitch, Jessica are more or less the same… It figures that she could be so easily swayed by her own greed."

"Stop talking, you fucking whore… And stop squirming-- I promise I'll make it a little easier if you don't struggle as much-- maybe it won't hurt as much."

"I doubt that my struggling has anything to do with it… I won't let you do this to me. I won't…"

"Why?" he asked, leering at me, "Will you tell her? Will you tell my featherbrained aunts what I've done to you…? I don't think they'd believe you-- I don't think they'd _want _to believe you, Beatrice-- do you think that--"

"Get off of me, and let me go. I won't tell anyone. I swear to--"

"Do you think I'd fall for that, Beatrice? I'm not that naïve. I'm going to fuck you, and then I'm going to kill you, because I know your type. I know that you'll go blabbing to everyone if I let you go-- or let you survive. I'm not taking the chance. I have a reputation in this world, and I intend to keep it."

"You're so full of yourself. Your reputation shouldn't matter-- What should matter is that you are breaking someone's spirit-- if you kill me, you'll be ending two lives as well. I won't let you do this to me and my child. I won't let you get away with shit."

And, suddenly, feeling a surge of energy, I was able to maneuver myself so that I could kick him right in his ass. He fell on his side, moaning-- as I had aimed quite a kick, and I was able to push the remainder of his body off from me, and stand up again, free of his sweating, vile filth, "I don't know how long it will take for me," I hissed, pausing to bring a blow to the back of his head while he was still down and as vulnerable as I had been, "but, eventually, I _will _make sure you suffer for all of this. So, I suggest you get as far away from me as possible, so that I don't change my mind, and kill you instead of letting you live, because people like Elaine and REHtoMna _will _believe me, and this entire world will want you to pay for your crimes. So, I suggest that once you can stand again, you start running-- make it a little more difficult for us to track you down, because we eventually will, and your privileged life will come to an end-- as it should."

He continued to moan at my feet. Angered by this sound, I aimed a second kick-- this time at his groin. That shut him up but good, "Don't forget my advice-- take it. And I'm pretty sure the next time I see you, it'll be in a prison cell."

With that, I turned my back on him as he struggled to stand, and steadily began to walk away, knowing that this time, there was no way in hell he'd come after me.


	17. Battling the Waters

_Chapter 17: Battling the Waters_

I was unsure how much time had passed-- it was already noon, though, by the look of the things, and the Viscount had once again disappeared behind me. I heaved a happy sigh, and continued walking; determined to get off the blasted forest, and begin the journey across the ocean by mid-afternoon.

I was still just about bursting with adrenaline from defeating the Viscount, and keeping myself free of his madness. It was then that I realized that I was walking around without a shirt on, so I forced myself to end my brisk pace so that I could slip into another shirt; the one I had been wearing the previous day was now lying torn and filthy on the ground-- maybe the Viscount had taken it for some sick souvenir of what could have been. I shuddered at the very thought, and quickened my pace, after making sure that my new shirt was completely buttoned up in the front.

I longed to be back in Matthew's arms now more than ever. I felt so utterly alone and deserted. Jessica had betrayed me to the Viscount, and I had nearly been raped by him in the aftermath-- the experience had deeply scarred me for it was such a frightening thing to think of-- those disturbing "what-ifs?" that remained in my mind… It was so surprising to realize that not even a week ago, I was with Matthew, feeling safe and protected from every single possible type of danger imaginable-- but everything had changed so suddenly with his disappearance. And although I had been so angered by being left in the dark concerning everything, I would trade back everything I now knew to have him reunited with me, and return home, and stay there for good. I had learned so much from all of my outer worldly experiences, and I somehow sensed that after having found Matthew again, it would be my last adventure. I didn't give a damn though. I just wanted him back in my arms.

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After nearly a day of walking, I found myself at last out of the forest.

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the sun directly upon my face, and the warm grains of sand between my toes, as I had long ago discarded my shoes-- preferring traveling barefoot as long as I wasn't in a desert, as I had been before. I walked closer towards the blue body of water that was the ocean-- I felt a sudden twang of homesickness at seeing such a place after so long, and wanted to cry out for not being there with Matthew anymore. But, the truths that were well-hidden in the form of the prophecy lay on the other side, so I was indeed eager to get across the ocean. And fast.

I broke my gaze away from the ocean, and looked to my left; there it was-- the path that Matthew had been bewitched to tell me to take. Seeing it and knowing what I now knew filled me with utter dread-- who knew what lay within it? It looked harmless, but I knew that it was full of dangers-- as I stated earlier, taking it would surely lead me to death.

I took in a deep breath, catching the sweet fragrance of salt. I loved the ocean, but this time, it was different. I had to construct a raft of some sort to make my way across it, and since I was altogether inexperienced with such matters, I needed to become an expert at it pretty quickly. Thankfully, I still had the ax and the rope, so my task would not be altogether impossible. I stared at one of the heavy branches that made up one of the many trees of the forest, and with one fatal swish through the air with the ax; I saw it fall to my feet.

Splitting it right down the middle, I felt-- knew that this wouldn't be the easiest thing to accomplish.

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Eventually, I had cut down nearly twenty branches, had split them right down the middle, and had begun tying them together with pieces of rope.

It didn't take as long as I would have at first imagined, so, before I knew it, I had completed the construction of the raft, and the only thing left was to make sure it would float.

Once again, I stared out into the sea. The waters were raging; it was obviously high tide or something-- thanking my lucky stars that I had been an excellent swimmer all my life, I gently pushed the raft, and watched with baited breath as it steadied itself and floated.

Wanting to sing a song for my joy, I quickly ran into the sea, and hopped onboard. My extra weight nearly caused the raft to sink, but after having stabled it once again by balancing myself in the very center, I took out an extra branch I had brought along, and began to row away from the beach just as the sun began to set.

The wind was blowing through my hair, and the horizon looked much brighter than it had ever before. I was reaching my goal, and I knew it. I only hoped that by the time I reached him, Matthew would still be alive…

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Night soon came, and with it, the urge to sleep once more.

So, having decided that the wind would be able to guide me throughout the night to the other side, I set down the branch I had been using to row, and lay down. My eyes shut, and I drifted off into the uncertainty of sleep…

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My eyes snapped open while it was still dark, and I discovered that there was a storm. Rain fell from the angry gray skies, and I was soaked through and through. I gasped in astonishment as the harsh waters forced me under, and I choked on seawater. My raft was sturdy, however, and soon bobbled above the surface again, but nonetheless, I was screwed, and I knew that because of the harsh angry winds, and the amount of rain, I would easily be blown off course.

I panicked, and cried out in anger. I needed help-- but there was no one to rescue me, of course. I could not write to the Queen or to REHtoMna, as the sheets of parchment I had been given had become soaked and soggy; utterly unusable. I screamed in anger, and tossed the dripping papers into the churning waters of the sea.

I was helpless. Completely and utterly helpless. The stone around my neck glowed warmly, as I shivered, and I thanked it silently for providing a bit of comfort in all the chaos.

Waves were hitting me left and right; a very strong one in particular slapped me across the face, and I thought for a moment or two that I would lose unconsciousness again, but, thankfully, this was not the case, and my eyes remained wide open, although they were constantly stung by salty seawater that made them redden.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I screamed; I wanted the storm to pass-- but I knew that it wouldn't let up just for me-- oh, no. It would keep up until it had successfully overturned and destroyed my raft once and for all, and had drowned me, so that I would be nothing but a floating and bloated corpse that a local fisherman would find in a month or two. _No, _I thought, Fuck _no… I am _not _going to let that shit happen-- I am going to brave this storm, and I _will _survive to see Matthew again-- and see the birth of our daughter._

I steadied myself upon the raft, and forced both my hands into the freezing-cold water. I was not going to give up without a fight; the answers to the questions I had pondered for nearly three years lay somewhere on the other side of the ocean, and I would live to uncover them, and learn their truths for myself before the shaska could try to intervene and prevent it. I would not let them win-- and I would not let that sickening Viscount win by being reassured that I wouldn't be around any longer to expose him for what he truly was.

I had to make it. I had to push forward with every fiber of my being, and succeed in crossing the damn ocean. I had made it through deserts and forests, and I was _not _going to let a small amount of water-- well, not small, but you get the point-- I was _not _going to let a small amount of water kill me before I could finish what had been started.

The waves continued to crash over my body, but I wouldn't-- couldn't let them stop me. It didn't matter in the long run-- nothing did. I would emerge from this battle triumphant. I simply had to for the wellbeing of all-- including Matthew, myself, and our child. I closed my eyes in deep concentration, _Don't worry, baby love-- we'll make it. We'll make it there, _I opened them once again, and smiled a warm smile; I had taken to speaking to the child, although I knew it couldn't hear me as it wasn't _that _far along in the developmental stage, but I didn't give a damn about that. It comforted me to talk to it-- to reassure it, although it didn't have a clue about what was going on.

The smile wiped from off of my face, as I placed all of my attention on getting to the other side-- for I could actually see a small stretch of beach that would lead me to everything I sought now-- I decided to discard the raft, and swim the rest of the way.

Making sure I still had my pouch with me (for the clothes would have uses once again when dry), I leapt from off of the raft, and watched in stunned silence as the waves embraced it, and tore it apart; the branches and the rope fell apart from each other, and continued to float just above the surface of the water. I took in a deep gulp of air, and allowed myself to be pushed towards the shore by the extremely strong undertow.

Moments later, the swift journey complete, I lay dazed and confused, slipping away into unconsciousness on the sandy beach.


	18. The Second Half of the Prophecy

_Chapter 18: The Second Half of the Prophecy_

I came to sometime a little later that day, not knowing how much time had passed at first; as I opened my eyes, and looked around me, I realized that I was now quite dry; almost as if there never had been an ocean-- and then I remembered that I had actually made it across. I smiled, and stood on two shaking legs, _And now to find the prophecy, _I decided, and immediately fell upon my hands and knees once again-- against my will. I suddenly wondered if someone was trying to stop me, but then a familiar voice began whispering instructions inside my mind, as if it were my own conscience.

_Dig until you find it-- It's here._

I nodded in agreement to the disembodied voice, and felt my fingers sinking into the warm and moist sand, _Deeper, _the voice whispered, _Deeper… _My fingers sunk deeper and deeper into the sand upon the command, until they suddenly struck something solid.

I gasped in astonishment at how little time it had taken for me to find the stone, and quickly went to pull it out; to my surprise, it easily lifted from out of the hole I had made, and I immediately began to read what it had written upon it-- to my surprise, once again, the second half of the stone on which the prophecy had been written all those years ago was blank, "Fuck," I whispered, turning it over, only to find the second side blank as well.

_It is well protected by magic, _the voice continued after a long silence, _The shaska do not want you to know what it says: if you believe enough in it, the words will reappear._

"How can I do--" I began, but I stopped myself, and stared at the blank face of the stone, _Reveal yourself, _I thought, _Show me what I do not yet know… _And the words appeared again. I gasped in surprise, and read them.

_**-- THE BATTLE BETWEEN FAERIE AND SHASKA WILL REACH AN ALL-TIME HIGH, AND MORE WORLDS WILL BE ENDANGERED-- SOME WILL DIE AS WELL… BUT THERE IS HOPE, FOR A SECOND DAUGHTER WILL BE BORN OF THE FIRST, AND ONLY SHE WILL BE ABLE TO ULTIMATELY DECIDE THE FATES OF US ALL, FOR SHE WILL BE BORN OF TWO WORLDS, AND WILL BE MORE POWERFUL THAN THEM ALL.**_

"My God," I whispered, and I immediately let it fall back into the hole, "My God, my God, my God."

It was frightening. Absolutely frightening. Everything that I had believed for the last three years had to be completely reshaped now. This changed everything. Absolutely everything. My child-- my _daughter; _she was the one. She would be in so much danger after her birth. I screamed in the agony of thinking about it all-- my daughter. My own daughter would be in so much danger. She would be hunted for all her life-- just like an animal.

Elaine's words from many days earlier echoed in my mind: _'Maybe that's what they want you to do.' _This, of course, had been in reference to my then decision to have an abortion… So, it was true. The shaska knew about this, and they wanted to prevent it from happening. Taking Matthew away from me had been a mere lure to bring me here; right in their mercy. I had to be strong now, more than ever-- now that I knew this, and, inevitably, this would happen to her-- she would be dragged into these worlds against her will, and be forced to fight for something that she didn't really understand-- just as I had been.

Tears were now streaming down my cheeks, and I had no control over them. I hated it. I hated everything about my life. Everything had ended up leading to this; the fact that I would _not _be able to complete the circle, which made Travis's message written in blood completely true. I would try to complete the circle, but only my daughter would be able to-- and what if she failed? What if she wasn't strong enough as expected? What then? There would be no hope of any kind, and everything would be decided by the shaska. A grim future-- a nonexistent future.

My tears came out in harsh sharp cries that shook my shoulders violently with each sob. I sounded crazy-- mad. And that's how I now felt. I cried, and cried; trying to let everything out, and yet it wouldn't come. I was defenseless now; if I chose to abort my daughter, she would be safe-- yes, but that would mean that the battle would never end, and while if I kept her-- if the prophecy were indeed correct, I would have to live in constant fear until whatever would happen would happen. I would never live in peace, as I had previously imagined living out the remainder of my adult years with Matthew. We would have to fear for our daughter's life all day and all night. It would drive us mad-- how would we live?

_Why must it be like this? _I thought, angrily, as I stood up, _Why can't it have said that _I _would ultimately finish it-- why did it have to change everything?_

The sun was now a harsh force. I felt the back of my neck beginning to burn. I looked around me, and found rocky cliffs at the edge of the sand. I was unsure where I was expected to go now-- as always. I wiped the warm tears from off of my cheeks with a sleeve, just as I felt a shadow shielding me from the sun.

As I turned to face the new presence, it spoke, "We need to get out of here. Fast. We're running out of time."


	19. Journeying into Uncertainty

_Chapter 19: Journeying into Uncertainty _

"And before _we _get out of here, would you mind telling me who in the fuck you are?" My intense gaze then focused upon the pretty face of the woman who had somewhat rudely interrupted me-- she looked as if she were a few years older than me, and had long blonde hair that was done up in a bun. She wore strange gauzy, silvery gray clothes that made me almost want to question her particular taste in fashion. I didn't recognize her from anything or anywhere, so I was surprised, to say the least, to see her standing there, staring at me with a look of mild worry in her eyes.

She opened her pretty red pointed mouth to reply, "My name is unimportant, but I will nevertheless give it to you to further our acquaintance. It is Nzinga, and I have come here to escort you on your journey-- as I know that my predecessor met an unfortunate demise at your hands. The Queen has sent me to provide you with a bit more stability and safety."

"Your _predecessor _tried to rape me," I hissed, "so I would prefer if you did not act as if he did not get exactly what he deserved--"

"I'm not here to judge."

"I really don't care _why _you're here," I hissed, the tears that had lingered upon my cheeks now dry and nonexistent, "and besides, how do I know if I can even trust you…?"

"Do you even have any other options?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows, "I know who you are, and I know who you're trying to find on your journey, and I do not doubt that you were successful in discovering the rest of that prophecy-- do not bore me with the details--"

"I wasn't planning on it," I hissed, taking an immediate disliking to the bitch. She was _just as bad _as that sickening Viscount-- well not 'just as bad' per say, but she was so damn arrogant! Who did she think she was? She almost reminded me of Jacqueline-- she was even blonde, and had an excellent figure that would make any woman who remotely cared about such matters jealous as hell. I rolled my eyes at this "replacement." _Gee, _I thought, sarcastically, _That REHtoMna sure knows how to pick keepers._

"_Please _try to be a bit more decent," she whispered; her voice becoming increasingly annoying, "It was _hell _getting here on such short notice-- I could have been--"

"Cut the crap, and tell me where exactly we're going before I'm forced to shake the answer out of you," I whispered.

She decided to ignore my bluntness-- although I could tell it was with much contempt on her part, "Well, don't you know? The only place where Matthew could possibly be, of course… The Land of the Shaska."

"What? I asked, "They actually have a world of their own?"

She nodded, "Yes, and there will be thousands upon _thousands _of them there. It will be _extremely _dangerous for a girl of your-- _mortality," _she nearly spat the word out at me as if I were unworthy of her presence. I rolled my eyes. Again. _Could this day _possibly _get any worse? _I wondered, as she approached me.

"Here," she whispered, now trying to sound a bit more motherly as opposed to sounding so very bitchy, "Wear this," she pulled a necklace out of her pocket-- identical to the one I now noticed she was wearing upon her neck. It had a single jade-green diamond upon it, "What the hell is this?" I asked, as she carefully placed it over my head, and around my neck. I carefully tucked the stone I always wore into my shirt, and stared at her skeptically.

"It will provide us transport out of this desolate place-- we cannot journey into the Land of the Shaska directly, as it is overly-protected by both spells and other things."

"_Other _things…? What the hell does that--?"

"_Please _hold that damn tongue of yours," she hissed; now opting to slip back into her previous-- and obviously more natural bitchy tone. I rolled my eyes for what seemed the millionth time since her arrival, and bit my lip in order to prevent myself from shouting my head off at her to vent out some of my anger at all of the frivolous uncertainties that now seemed to be surrounding me.

She closed her eyes in deep concentration, and I saw that she was wearing sparkling jade-green eye shadow-- to match the diamond, I instantly presumed. Her eyes remained shut, and she began trembling all over. I instantly wondered if she was having a seizure, _"What the--?" _But I could not finish my sentence due to the surprise on my part that followed. She grabbed my diamond, as hers emitted a bright green light that nearly made me go blind; she grabbed her diamond, although I could tell that it was burning hot to the touch, and placed it directly on top of mine-- which also produced the same strange light. I closed my eyes to shut out the pain, now realizing why she had done so, and felt a strange uncomfortable feeling of being finely compressed… I screamed at the strange pain, and the stretch of beach, the ocean, and the rocky cliffs disappeared in an instant.

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"_Open your eyes," _a soft voice whispered through the void.

I did so, and my gaze fell once again upon Nzinga-- the second guide who had been entrusted to me. I groaned angrily, "Where are we now, exactly?" I asked, vaguely remembering her saying something about traveling to the Land of the Shaska.

"I cannot say that I truly know that," she whispered, still not slipping back into her usual bitchy tone, "Just stand, and we can begin the rest of the journey to the evil lands."

"All right, all right… Just wait a moment-- I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Surprisingly, I immediately did so, and she stared at it distastefully, "A normal side affect… Our way of travel _does _take a while of getting used to-- that is, at least for those of mortal blood," once again, I felt like she was coming out, and labeling me as unworthy. I wanted to immediately rip off her ugly blonde hair, and give her a black eye just for her attitude alone towards me. God. It wasn't like _I _had asked for a bitch like _her _to guide me towards my missing husband. Who did she think she was? Who in the hell did she think she was?

I stood, in order to avoid further displeasings of the bitch, and stared at her long and hard, "Lead the way," I whispered, and I stared around us. We were standing in the middle of a dark world; completely deprived of light. I was frightened as hell, "Are you ready?" she asked, coldly, and I nodded my head in response, "Alright, then. Simply take my hand, and _do not _stray from our path… That's what _they _would want you to end up doing… I suspect that there are some with us here, watching and waiting for you to make such a mistake."

I rolled my eyes once again, and unwillingly took a hold of her outstretched hand. Her hand was perfect as well; smooth and I somehow caught the scent of apples and roses from it. I gagged, "What is this place?"

"If you didn't hear me the first time, I shall repeat myself once again, mortal. _I do not know," _I bit my tongue once again to restrain the urge of shouting at her, and decided to harp on the fact that I could be just hours away from reuniting with Matthew, and sharing the news with him of our baby-- and the fact that she would prove to be the final decider in the battle that was currently waging on… I even smiled at the thought of holding him again, and kissing him-- although I would of course be interrupted by his captors-- whoever they ended up being.

After having made sure that I was firmly gripping her hand, Nzinga put one foot in front of the other, and we began our descent (for I soon realized we were going down instead of straight across) down into whatever was awaiting us-- mainly me.

"You are a beautiful creature for a mortal," she was now whispering; obviously a stab at trying to make small talk. I grunted in response, "Won't you repay the compliment?" she asked, after the silence that followed.

"My God," I replied, "I must say that you are just about the vainest person I have ever met in all my life-- if you can count that as a compliment, then I say Congratulations."

She remained silent; as if she had just received a smart slap across the face-- something she truly deserved, "I cannot say that I do not pride myself on my looks," she retorted, icily, "But that doesn't mean that you can make the assessment that I am vain as well."

"Whatever," I replied, "I really don't care whether or not you think you're beautiful… Just get me out of this place."

"How I hate mortals," I heard her unsuccessfully trying to hiss under her breath. I smiled at the strong choice of words I had made, and then cried out in pain as her sharp green-painted nails dug deeply into my hand-- probably drawing blood. Well, two could play this game. I didn't have as sharp nails as she, but I could use them equally well. I dug mine into her hand, and she cried out in pain as well, "Would you stop that?" she demanded.

"Only if you do."

"Alright, alright-- such a child," she unloosened her grip, and I did as well, still smiling over the fact that I had so deeply irked her.

"How much longer will this dark place last?" I demanded, and for once, she gave me a decent reply, "About another quarter of a mile, I'd say… I can't be too sure, as the last time I was here was with the Queen herself, thousands of years ago."

"I see," I replied, and the uncomfortable silence was lessened between us, and we finally stayed off of each other's nerves for the rest of the way through the 'dark place' as I had so aptly nicknamed it.

After nearly three hours of walking, Nzinga suddenly came to a complete halt with no explanation, and so I continued walking, and slammed into her, "Sorry," I murmured, truly sorry for having done so.

"_Could you try to be a bit more careful?" _she snapped, ultimately ending our silent agreement to be a bit nicer to each other.

"I suppose," I snapped right back and a while later, "Would you mind telling me why we have stopped now?"

"We have stopped _because _this is the end of the… _dark place," _I rolled my eyes at her usage of my own personal name for the place, as she went on, "Although you cannot tell, we have come to a strange barrier that prevents us from entering the Land of the Shaska-- it is neither liquid nor solid, and it will not allow us to pass through."

"So, basically, we're trapped here," I summarized.

"_No… _We are not _'trapped.' _My Lord, you must think me a simpleton-- I am the Princess Nzinga, and I know enough about magic to get us through."

"Don't be so conceited," I whispered, "I know that--"

"Okay. Okay. Just shut up, and let me figure this out."

I immediately tore my hand from out of her tight grasp, and tried to watch as she attempted again and again to get herself through the barrier via the use of magic spells and incantations.

After what seemed like eons had passed, I heard her cry out in glee as her hand sunk through, "Okay then, Miss Beatrice," she whispered, "take my hand once again… that's right, and close your eyes. Do not be afraid as we pass, or you will be stuck inside for hundreds of years."

I obeyed, and walked with her, and into the barrier. I immediately screamed upon entering; it felt as if we had been stuck in the middle of a burning-hot jelly-like substance. I felt as if I were on fire-- excruciating pain, "Do not make a sound," the Princess whispered, and I nodded, and shut my mouth. I refused to open my eyes, for I felt that if I did so, I would find us surrounded by white-hot flames, and that sight would most likely intensify my mounting panic.

Eventually, I felt the heat dissipate, replaced by a normal temperature, and immediately opened my eyes again. We had successfully passed through the barrier. I was still sweating buckets, but the Princess remained almost unperturbed, "Welcome," she whispered, with a dramatic flair of her arms.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The Land of the Shaska."


	20. IN THE LAND OF THE SHASKA: Searching

_Chapter 20: IN THE LAND OF THE SHASKA: Searching_

I gasped in utter horror as I looked around the both of us at the new devastated world I had never seen before in my life-- a place so decimated and strange that it was frightening and completely unimaginable-- had I seen it in a nightmare or even in photographs, I would not have been able to believe it; Nzinga, on the other hand, stared around us with a cold expression glued upon her face-- a look of knowing. I sensed that she had been here before-- or was simply unaffected by the devastation. It reminded me of Mars, and yet it was so very different; there was an enormous and dying red sun dully shining above us; nearly dead, it provided very little warmth or light. I shivered at the thought of the thing one day being extinguished forever; plunging the already fucked-up world into complete darkness for all eternity… It wasn't a very pleasant thought. I frowned, staring around at the strange black caves that were simply everywhere; there seemed to be thousands of them-- maybe even millions, as they seemed to stretch on forever in all directions, "Each houses one or two of them-- they keep them safe from the faerie," the Princess explained as my eyes widened at the thought of the endless amount of caves. The stone I wore around my neck glowed dully, and I nodded, "This is where I must leave you," she whispered, trying to sound gentle and motherly once again as she turned around to face me.

"What?" I demanded, snapping out of my daze over the world, and becoming frightened and outraged by the very idea, "I can't be left here all alone!" I finished, spinning around to face her again, and closing my eyes to shut out the horrible images of the caves and the sun that seemed to be etched deep within my mind.

"I cannot remain here with you," she whispered, "if I would, it would simply be more dangerous-- they would spot you more easily that way, Beatrice, and our kind are striving to prevent _that _from ever happening-- and besides, you naïve thing, other prophecies have stated that your final battle must be fought alone, one on one with the shaska who snatched away your beloved."

"_Other _prophecies--? What--? Never mind, look, you can't just up and leave, I mean--"

She held up her hand to cut me off, "Think of your child, Beatrice. Would you want to risk its life just to not be alone in all this…? Be stronger. Don't let everyone down just because you're afraid of what lies ahead."

"No," I insisted, angrily, _"No," _I repeated, "I do _not _want to be tossed aside like that-- you can't simply leave me to fend for myself here. I don't even have the faintest clue what the fuck I'm supposed to do-- where I'm supposed to go-- I don't even know who it is that took Matthew."

"There is no other way around it," she whispered, gently, "Do not fear anyone or anything here… They can sniff out fear like dogs."

"Thanks for the cliché metaphor, but seriously--" I rolled my eyes, but she continued speaking, "I am confident that you will emerge triumphant."

"No-- listen to me, Nzinga! I do not know what to do. I haven't the faintest idea where Matthew could be here. Don't you understand that?"

"That's easy to remedy," she whispered, gesturing towards the thousands of caves that surrounded us, "He is most likely within one of them-- with one of the shaskas, of course."

"But, how will I know which one…?"

"Ask around-- _make _them tell you-- one will most likely know… After all, your coming here has been awaited for very long. They took Matthew to bring you here-- they've been waiting, Beatrice, and they want to find you. If you can use that talent I've heard you possess to torture one, he'll break. He'll tell you."

"And how am I to defend myself against them…? They aren't the friendliest creatures, you know."

"Always asking such obvious questions. You have a knife. Use it if it's necessary. You, unlike many mortals will of course be able to kill them."

She turned her back to me, and made to go through the barrier again.

"You can't do this, Nzinga. I--"

She turned around to face me once again; suddenly fierce, "You don't need me, Beatrice. You may be naïve, but you are quite able. Therefore, you _will _go through with this, and you _will _be strong. You cannot be defeated. The fates of many hang in the balance because of you."

"But I just discovered that--"

"_Silence," _she hissed, "if we stand here arguing all day, you won't get anything accomplished. You will find your husband, and if you like, upon your return, we will have another chat then. _Only_ then… You must fight for what is right, Beatrice, and I will be among those who celebrate your return to our world. Don't let them destroy what is good. Don't let them get to you. Don't let them, Beatrice. Here," she suddenly produced a third jade-green diamond necklace from within her pocket, and handed it to me, "When you find Matthew, you will be able to return to our world directly from out of whichever cave he is now imprisoned within."

I tucked it safely into my pocket, and stared at her as she turned her back to me again. Deciding to forgive and forget, I whispered, "Goodbye, Princess… Don't get trapped within the barrier."

She turned for a split second, gave me a warm smile, and then disappeared into the barrier.

_All right then, _I thought, turning after gazing at the spot where she had been only seconds before for a moment, _I need to find Matthew-- and soon. If what the Princess told me is right, then they probably already know that I'm here-- and it's safe to say that they will not be too very pleased._

I stared at the nearest cave, deciding to begin my search there. It was also true that battles were being fought all over-- maybe many of the shaska had gone off to fight their mortal enemy, the faerie? I was banking on it… There was always the chance that not many were fighting. I took in a deep breath, and began running towards the cave, trying to be discreet, and avoid being spotted until it was altogether necessary.

Crouching in the shadows provided by the many caves, I waited and watched. After a few minutes of making sure no one had emerged or was out and about-- (minutes that seemed like hours, might I add), I immediately entered the first cave.

After the strange glow of the outside world, I was actually shocked to be plunged into complete darkness once again… Wishing I had a flashlight or candle to light the way, I crept deeper inside; my nostrils were suddenly stung by such a strong stench of death that I could hardly stand it. My eyes watered tears and I thought for one wild moment that I would die from the unbearable smell, but I soon became more accustomed to it, so I ventured deeper inside.

Disembodied voices were whispering strange names-- not mine, thankfully, but names that I couldn't place, try as I might. I was frightened-- petrified, actually, and it was then that I sensed that this was not Matthew's place of imprisonment-- if you could call it that.

Feeling a strange sense of relief, I exited the cave, and was once again in the midst of the thousands of others, and the dying red sun in the sky…

"_Hey!" _an angry voice suddenly screamed, and I looked around me, wildly. I wanted to run from it, but, as if I were a deer caught in wild headlights of a car, I remained motionless, and I felt big, hairy hands grabbing me from the back, and dragging me back into the depths of the cave, _I guess I should have made absolutely sure than no one was in the cave with me, _I now realized, as the dark replaced the light again, and I was being dragged across the floor now, as I had been heaved to the ground… My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and I found that whoever was dragging me along was dragging me through many skeletal remains of what appeared to be humans and other mortal species, _So _that's _what's producing that vile stench, _I realized, frightened by the notion that I would probably be joining them shortly…

_No, _a sane voice whispered in my mind, as the unnamed man stopped dragging me, and allowed me to remain at the very back of the cave, _That's ridiculous-- this is just like the time with Travis, and you can fucking fight for yourself. _I went to stand again, but the man pushed me back down onto the ground in a sitting position.

"Who are you?" he demanded, and before I could begin to answer, he had answered for me, "Oh, wait a minute… You're that _Beatrice _girl, aren't you…?" I nodded in response, "Yes, I've heard of you-- and your missing husband," he laughed, "What do you mean?" I demanded, "Is he dead?"

"Might as well be," he replied, and was suddenly facing me, as he had taken a seat beside me on the bone-strewn ground, "You will provide for a decent price," he paused to stroke my cheek, "Once I've alerted our leader to your presence."

"'_Leader?'" _I demanded, shrinking away from his unbearable touch, "And, who, pray tell, is _that?"_

"Can't say," he whispered, "but you can bet that--"

I stopped listening, and casually slipped my hand into my pocket, where I could feel the cold steel blade of the knife I had taken all those days ago away from the Viscount. It was sharp-- and it would of course bring me some assistance now.

Praying that it wasn't too rash a decision, I tore the knife from out of my pocket, and pointed it at the man's throat, "Listen here, fucker," I hissed, "I've been hunting and killing your kind for _years _now, so don't try to fuck with me… If you lead me to the cave where my husband is currently imprisoned within, I might let you live… Try and get away from me, and alert your _'leader…'" _I dug the blade a bit deeper into the flesh of his throat, not yet penetrating it, but nearly, "…and I'll make sure you never see the light of day again. Now, stand up, and lead the way…" he did so, "That's right… That's right," I whispered, as I stood as well, "Try anything, and I _will _use it," I dug the blade into his back, and then whispered, "Now, get a move on."

Surprised by how utterly simple it was to manipulate their kind, I began to follow him out of the cave, "You won't ever get away from this," he hissed angrily back at me, "Do you _really _think so?" I asked, "I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were in your position," I dug the blade a bit deeper into his back as a prod, and safe to say, he quickened his pace from slow to brisk.

Out of the cave once again, and counting my blessings that I had been able to make it this far without meeting up with any _real _danger, I walked close behind him. The sun was beginning to set, but I had the feeling that since it was a Red Giant now, it might take longer for the world to be cast into darkness. We walked for what seemed like hours, and no one was alerted to my presence-- or so it seemed, as no one burst from out of their caves, and tried to assist their fallen comrade. I was pleased with my work, and just as darkness was coming across the land, the shaska stopped in front of a cave entrance, and told me by nodding his fat head that this was the one, "Can I leave now?" he asked, hopefully.

"I don't think so," I whispered, "I'm not a dunce, and I don't want to be lied to, so you're not getting away from me until we enter that cave, and find my Matthew within."

He nodded; probably having expected an answer like this, and we entered the cave. It was pitch-black within (no surprise there), and it seemed to take eons for us to get from the front to the very back, "Where is he?" I demanded.

"He's hidden-- behind the walls. _She _knew you would eventually come here, and didn't want for you to get to him easily."

"Who's-- never mind. Show me where he is, and then I'll let you leave."

I followed him around the back of the cave, "I think i-i-it's t-th-_this_ one," he slapped his hand against a particular spot, and hissed, _"Shesektra," _the stone wall melted away to reveal the trembling form of Matthew-- he was unconscious or under some magical sleep, "What's wrong with him?" I asked.

"Another spell. I don't think--"

"_Undo it," _I hissed.

He uttered a second spell, _"Maynepresah," _Matthew's eyes fluttered open, but seemed as though they were not functioning properly at all-- he was obviously surprised or in shock.

"Can I leave now?"

"Yes," I murmured, and lifted the knife from out of his back, as he turned to run, "But, I do not want to be bothered by the army of shaskas I feel you will send to stop me…"

"I won't…" he murmured, frightened, "I swear…"

"Sorry for lying to you," I whispered, and without a second thought, plunged the knife into his stomach.

He fell to the ground without a struggle, and I tore the knife from out of the open wound, and wiped the ruby-red blood off on my clothes, "Matthew, darling," I whispered, gently, touching his cheek, as he further came to, "I'm here-- we can leave now. It's over."

He struggled to speak. It made my heart ache to watch him as his mouth contorted, and he struggled to answer, "N-n-_no, _i-it-_it _i-is-_isn't. _Sh_-she's _h-_here."_

"Who's here, Matthew? Who? Who is it?"

"I am, of course. Yes, it's me, Beatrice."

And I turned to face the new presence, knowing that we were not alone. I screamed in horror as I recognized that cold unmistakable voice.


	21. IN THE LAND OF THE SHASKA: Truth

_Chapter 21: IN THE LAND OF THE SHASKA: Truth_

"Have you missed me these long last three years, Beatrice?" Jacqueline asked, approaching us both. "How do you feel to be in my presence once again? Shocked? Pleased? Scared?" she laughed, long and hard, "Do you recognize me?" she asked, "Of course not… I'm sorry for having changed my appearance today," she shook back the wild mane of curly brown hair she had, and the plait of golden blonde hair I had so despised reappeared. Her eyes changed from green black to blue, and she shrunk in size a few inches, "Is that better?" she asked. I choked for breath. I had not been expecting this-- how had she returned? She laughed again, "I suppose you're just _dying _to know how I came to be here again-- alive and well-- but first things first. I see you have killed my dear friend, Zsheeka-- no matter though… Bravo. I bet you enjoyed it-- the killing, I mean… Like when you killed my boy… My Travis, as you knew him."

"He killed my mother-- and my best friend," I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I decided then and there to repay the favor."

"Don't forget that he killed you as well-- I was ever so pleased with him when he told me that he had succeeded in the one thing I could never do-- that is, until now," she waved her hands three times over the corpse at her feet, and the form of Zsheeka disappeared, "You were of course resurrected before he could finish off your soul-- But, you are a mortal now. A _complete _mortal, and when I kill you tonight, not even your pitiful soul will remain to further plague me and my people."

"Then you are the leader of them."

She nodded, "I am the mother of shaskas. I am Queen of this world, for I was the first to be conceived thousands of years ago in the place where you discovered the truth of your child… I suppose it's good that you have survived up until now. When I kill you, I shall destroy the final hope that is now growing within your belly."

"Really?" I asked, "I don't think so."

"Don't be coy, my child," she hissed, _"That _can lead to a more painful death for you."

"Fuck you, bitch. I don't care what you think you're going to be able to do to me. You have delusions of grandeur-- that's _your _fault-- one of many."

She laughed again, sending chills up and down my spine seven times in succession, "I don't give a damn what you think about me-- your opinion never mattered much to me. I do not doubt that you are strong and a capable opponent, but tonight, as your body lay dying, I hope you realize the truth: _You're nothing when compared to our kind. _I have always thought so-- even that night two years ago in D'Nalge, when you stumbled into Elaine's old cottage-- I was there with you that night. I would have killed you then and there, but I decided to let you go free."

"Bully for you," I whispered.

"And then you met your precious Matthew, and conceived that sickening child in the process," I had forgotten that Matthew was there; I turned to find that he had slipped away into the unconsciousness or charmed sleep once again, "What have you done to him?" I demanded, angrily, turning to face her again, "A spell, you idiotic child and he will not awaken ever again-- yes, he is sleeping, but that does not matter. His eyes will never open again-- good riddance…"

"_Fuck you," _I hissed, and I stared deeply into her eyes, "Tonight I will succeed in killing you once and for all. I don't care what you think you'll do tonight, and--"

"_Before _our little _battle _can begin, I promised to inform you on how I came to be alive-- I will remain true to my word. That night, after I had killed your fiancé… my form instantly disappeared. You should have known _right there and then _that I was not truly dead. My first life had simply come to an end at your hands. My soul was thrown into a strange void, and I waited for many days before I was resurrected-- the process, as I know you have realized, is quite a difficult spell to perform, and I knew when I rose again, that this was my last chance. My last chance to see you dead, so I had my son begin courting your friend-- Carla, right? Then, on your twentieth birthday, I found where you were, and sent you that dream, so you returned home, and sought Carla, as I knew you would, and Travis killed you and her that night. But, I knew that as you are _such _an important mortal, your soul would continue living, so I sent Travis once again to finish the job. You, however, succeeded in taking away my only flesh and blood, and I was unable to resurrect him for his soul was deemed 'unworthy' of the spell."

"Pity," I hissed under my breath.

"And so, for the past couple of years, I waited. I waited for you to shack up with that _man _of yours, and conceive the doomsday child who would destroy everything I held dear. Then, I sent you the other dream, which caused you once again to return to your hometown. It was then that I had Matthew abducted, to ensure your return to the other worlds. I have long awaited this day, and at last it has come."

"I'm sorry to inform you of it, you ugly little cunt, but you won't see me die today. No. There will only be one more death tonight, and it will be _yours."_

"I must say that your words do not frighten me in the least, you ignorant excuse for a human being… I have grown stronger than ever with the help of more mortal souls… There have been _thousands _since my resurrection, Beatrice, and there will be thousands more after tonight-- starting with you."

She suddenly lunged at me, but already expecting such an attack, I darted out of her way, and she slammed into the cave-wall, and began to laugh madly, "You are an intelligent little thing, aren't you? You truly have grown since those days when I first met you."

"I have, you ugly little bitch, and I will continue to grow-- _especially _when your corpse lies rotting at my feet."

"Funny how sure of yourself you have become," she whispered, straightening herself, and brushing some dirt and grime from off of her frighteningly beautiful face as she turned to face me again, "You carry the child that will supposedly destroy my people for good-- but, this will _never _become a reality… Stop living in your fantasy world, and wake up."

"Fuck off, you dirt bag."

"I want you to learn to shut up-- in death, I'm sure you will, at last, and never again will my people be plagued by you, your husband, and if it were to be born, your unborn child."

"I doubt that," I hissed, "my daughter will come into the world eight months from this moment-- and she will be born into a world as if you never existed."

She laughed again, and I wanted to scream; her laughter was pain to my ears, "Recognize this?" she suddenly asked, producing a gnarled branch that Elaine had used as a walking stick while she had still been alive, "After I murdered the old fool, I went back into her cottage, and vanished her body as it was beginning to create _quite _a stench-- and then, I stole this."

"But how can you--"

"Hold it? It's oak, yes, _but _the magic that would repel me has long lied dormant, and no longer exists-- after Elaine's death, the magic stopped working."

"Your point…?"

"It's a metaphor, Beatrice," she hissed, tossing the branch aside, "A metaphor to describe you, in a way… All of this. All of this _magic. _It stops at a certain point, Beatrice… Just like the breath in your lungs-- the blood that seeps through your veins," I suddenly felt an intense pain throughout my entire body, and screamed, "Just a little preview of what lies in store," she whispered, as I fell to the ground, and the pain at last stopped, "Trust me-- I can make it worse… Much worse."

I stood again, "I am ready for whatever you have in store, bitch," I hissed, and suddenly, I grabbed the old walking stick from off of the ground, and held it tightly in my trembling hands.

"Old magic won't help you today, Beatrice… That moth-ridden old thing is as useless as the day I stole it from your dead fairy godmother's house."

"You never know," I replied, smoothly-- trying to sound casual and unconcerned.

"Whatever-- use it then. See if it does you any good," she charged at me again, and hoping it would work, I waved the walking stick in the air, and Jacqueline was thrown against the cave-wall once again. Her head made a loud smacking sound, and she was knocked unconscious. Wondering if it were all a dream, I envisioned the ax that Jessica had given to me days before-- it suddenly appeared in my free hand, and I approached the bitch to finish the job.

"It's over," I hissed, and I swung the ax until it came into contact with her throat. Blood squirted everywhere as her head was severed, and rolled around on the ground. I actually screamed; terrified by the grizzly sight. I couldn't believe that I had done something so vile-- I couldn't believe that my need had restored the magic to the walking stick-- I couldn't believe that I had actually been able to _perform _magic.

"Beatrice," a meek voice suddenly whispered from behind me, and I immediately dropped the bloodstained ax in surprise, and then remembered.

I then ran to the back of the cave to bring assistance to my husband.


	22. IN THE LAND OF THE SHASKA: Family

_Chapter 22: IN THE LAND OF THE SHASKA: Family_

"You're here," he whispered; he was still struggling to speak, and my heart continued to break at then sight of him, "And you killed her."

I nodded, "Yes, and I suspect her death will cause many of her followers to come here. That means we have to get the fuck out of here--"

He sat up, "I can fight them, Beatrice. I can--"

"No, you _can't," _I whispered, firmly, yet trying my best to be gentle, as he was obviously still coming to, and was suffering from lack of food and water, "We're going to get you out of here, and return to--"

And then, I cut myself off; I could hear something-- something screaming my name from another section behind the wall, "What the hell?" I asked, and Matthew shrugged his shoulders in response; obviously not able to provide me with an answer. I stood, and stared at the place in the wall where the troubling sounds were coming from, "Hello?" I called, "Is anyone there?" They continued to call my name in response, and on a whim, I repeated the spell that had melted away the wall to reveal Matthew, _"Shesektra,"_ after a few moments in which nothing occurred, the wall began to tremble, and melted to reveal strange, celestial figures, who continued to whisper my name.

"Who are you?" I whispered, realizing that they were faceless spirits of some sort, shrouded in darkness, and as soon as I had asked the question, four, in particular appeared at the front. Tears stung my eyes, and I reached out to touch each of them in turn; the long dead fiancé I had never loved, Carla, my mother, and my father. I cried out in astonishment, "How are you all here?" I whispered.

"_We are the spirits of the fallen-- Jacqueline's kills-- as well as her son's…"_ my mother explained, and tears began streaming down my face at the sight of them there-- it was so wonderful, and yet so extremely upsetting, "I'm so sorry for what I caused for each of you," I whispered, through the heavy burden of tears, "I'm so very sorry."

"_Don't be sorry for what you could have never prevented," _my mother whispered, _"each of us were destined to die-- and Jacqueline was destined to ultimately kill us… But now that she is dead for good, the spell that held us here is no longer applied… We are free."_

I nodded, "But, still-- I'm sorry, Mom. I've missed you so much since that night…"

"_And I've missed you too, my baby," _she whispered, tears shining in your eyes, _"I never saw you grow. I never saw you graduate from high school, and become a woman… I know how much you've needed me."_

I nodded, and the flow of tears intensified; my shoulders shook with each heavy sob, and she was crying as well.

"_And now, it is time for me to leave you… again."  
_

"No, Mom… Please, don't do this to me. You can't, you--"

"_It's time for us to say goodbye, my Beatrice. My baby, know that a part of me will always remain with you as long as you do good in your life, and remember me."_

"I could never-- _never _forget you, Mom," and with that, she disappeared, and the spot where she had hovered only moments before was empty again. My father suddenly became the prominent figure; my vision swam with tears, "Dad," I murmured.

He nodded, and spoke in the same faraway voice my mother had possessed as a spirit, _"I'm so sorry for letting you down," _he whispered, _"but I could not fight her spell-- I know how hard life was for you after the death of Joanna, and I know how much you needed me afterwards… I'm so sorry I couldn't be a real father."_

"No. I don't care anymore. I always loved you-- deep down-- even when you were being so difficult."

He chuckled, _"Don't be afraid as your life goes on without the ones you have lost, Beatrice. Losses are what make us stronger."_

"Thank you, Dad. I love you so much…"

"_Don't be afraid to move on, my baby…" _And he disappeared as well.

And then, having expected it, my attention focused on the form of the Prince-- the fiancé whose name I had never known…

"_Beatrice…" _he smiled at the sight of me, but I could not return it.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you-- I never loved you. I'm so sorry, but I didn't realize what would come of our engagement-- I'm sorry that Jacqueline murdered you when you were so young. I hope that you can forgive me."

"_I do," _he whispered, _"with all of my heart…"_ And he disappeared as well.

Now, I could hardly breathe, and the fourth and final figure came into prominent view: _Carla._

"You were my best friend, and I could not save you that night. I am so sorry. You couldn't even begin to imagine how sorry I am because of it."

"_I know how sorry you are, Beatrice," _her face filled with a radiant smile, _"and I forgive you entirely. I loved you all my life as a sister-- so much more than a friend, and I knew when I died, that I had died for a purpose-- almost to save you, as I later learned."  
_

"God, I love you, Carla…"

"_And I love you, Beatrice… Don't ever forget that-- even though I'll be gone from your life, I'll keep on loving you, and remembering you for what you always were: my best friend," _and she was gone as well.

I shuddered with tears. They were all gone now. Gone forever; they had each moved on to whatever was the afterlife. I had saved them, and yet it had destroyed me to do so. I had been forgiven by each of them, and I had to remember their love, and my love for the rest of forever-- however long that was.

I wiped the last of the tears away from my eyes, and turned to face my husband again. He had obviously been slipping in and out of unconsciousness since I had last seen him minutes before; his breath was rough, and came out in sharp, ragged gasps. I suddenly wondered if he was in mortal danger, "Matthew," I whispered, and I immediately fell beside him, "We're leaving this place-- for good. You are safe with me," I threw the second necklace around his neck, and gasped as shaskas suddenly entered the cave; obviously having been alerted to their leader's downfall, "Back off!" I screamed, as they found Jacqueline's disembodied head lying in a pool of dark blood, but they continued to rush towards me. I had to be quick about things; there were about twenty or so already. I clutched my diamond tightly, and thought of the Land of the Faerie where we would obviously be expected to return, until it emitted the blinding green light again. The shaskas gasped, and stayed away as I touched mine to his, and his emitted a light that danced upon the dark cave walls with mine, and then, everything went black…


	23. Healing Process

_Chapter 23: Healing Process_

The darkness soon subsided, once again replaced by light, and I was standing in the center of the Grand Ballroom of REHtoMna's palace again. Matthew was lying on his back, and instantly rolled onto his side, and vomited. I did not do so this time, as I had obviously gotten used to the strange travel method.

"Beatrice!" a voice suddenly screamed, and I was suddenly being covered in kisses by a middle-aged woman I instantly presumed to be Elaine, "Hi," I whispered, struggling out of her grasp, and gesturing towards my husband, "He needs help-- Jacqueline did something to--"

"_Jacqueline? _What do you--?"

"I'll explain momentarily. Just get him some help."

"I'm sorry for my sister's lack of understanding," REHtoMna suddenly said, as she made her way to the small semicircle we had formed, "She can get _quite _misty-eyed once her godchildren are returned safe and whole."

"Sister…?" I whispered, but then again, it all made sense; they were sisters. No wonder both seemed so similar in character…

Elaine nodded, while REHtoMna crouched low upon the ground to face Matthew as he continued to tremble and gasp for air, "He needs some serious help to heal," she whispered, and waved her hands so that his form disappeared, "I've already arranged for the finest nurse of this world to provide him with help."

"I must be with him," I whispered, and instantly turned to leave.

"Beatrice, aren't you forgetting something…?" Elaine whispered.

"Yes-- _no. _I don't feel like talking just now, Elaine, if you don't mind. I feel like I must be with my husband."

"Yes, of course," REHtoMna whispered, shooing her sister away, "I'll take you to him immediately."

"Thank you," I whispered, and the both of us quickly turned to leave the ballroom, and into the narrower of the two hallways that led into it, "I trust that my daughter was able to guide you to the Land of the Shaska in a successful manner?"

I nodded, "Thank you-- I'm sure that I wouldn't have made it there without her."

REHtoMna blushed a brilliant magenta color at this compliment for her daughter, "I am sure she would be quite pleased to hear that…"

"Oh," I murmured, as she quickened her pace; sensing how anxious I was to get back to Mathew.

We rounded into another hallway; a part of the palace I had never seen before, it seemed a little less grand. There was a lack of gold statues, chandeliers, and water fountains. I paid little attention to these details, however. For some strange reason, I just wanted to hold Matthew-- to help nurse him back to health.

At long last, the Queen pulled open a door, and I rushed inside to find a plump nurse woman pouring the liquid within a tall goblet into Matthew's open mouth, "I can do that," I whispered, seeing that the deed was causing the old nurse trouble, "She's his wife," REHtoMna explained, as I snatched the goblet away, and began pouring it into his mouth with a bit more success, "I'm here, my love. I'm here, and I'm going to make sure we're never separated from each other again."

He seemed to nod, ever so gently, in response, and I smiled.

"I'll leave you two alone," REHtoMna whispered, opening the door once again, "But, I'll be wanting to hear everything that's happened to you… Actually, _we'll _leave the two of you alone," she gestured towards the nurse, who obviously had no intention of budging, "Come _on," _the Queen whispered, and she pulled the nurse by the collar right out of the doorway.

The door gently slammed shut a few moments later, "It's all right, Matthew. I promise you that. From now on, we'll be together-- no one can keep us apart any longer."

He was unconscious again-- but I sensed that somehow, he could hear me. Deep down in his very soul, he could hear me. I stared at the huge feathered bed he had been lain upon, and crept under the covers, and beside him. I did not want him to be alone. Not tonight. Not ever. I found his hand under the sheets, and squeezed it gently; trying to get the message across to him that we were reunited again, "I love you," I whispered gently, and closed my eyes to sleep just as a slight evening breeze came in through the window, and blew out the light that came from the candle…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke sometime the next morning, feeling my shoulder being gently shaken by the chubby hand of the plump, and easily offended nurse, "Get out of there, young miss-- _out!" _I immediately jumped out of bed, gently shaking it, "All right, all right," I whispered, "don't be so pushy."

She rolled her eyes in response, and went to feed Matthew another goblet of the medicinal potion that would eventually lead him to a full recovery.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days passed with little improvement in his health, until one day-- the seventh day to be exact, his eyes opened, and for the first time, he actually _saw _me, "You're here," he murmured in amazement, "We got out of that place, didn't we?"

I nodded, "And you're getting better-- in a few days, we'll be able to go back home."

He nodded, and his eyes closed, "But, before you go to sleep, Matthew, there's something you need to know."

His eyes opened again, "What's that?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant, Matthew. I'm going to have our baby."

His eyes widened in surprise-- though he was seriously pleased with that news, "Really?"

I nodded.

"Oh, Beatrice. That's wonderful-- I hope I'll be fully healed by the time you give birth," he paused to chuckle, and that sent him into a coughing fit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another week passed, and Matthew was nearly entirely healed. He could walk for many feet without losing the ability to breathe, and had begun to gain weight as well. Learning that I was now carrying his child had helped along in the process; had made him stronger again.

I held his hand as he drifted off to sleep just as a knock came at the door.

Thinking it was the bitchy nurse, I called, "Come in."

Instead, the door opened to reveal Nzinga, "My mother would like to speak with you now."


	24. An Icy Heart

_Chapter 24: An Icy Heart_

I nodded my head, having expected this moment days before, dropped Matthew's hand gently, promising I would return as soon as possible, and swiftly followed the Princess Nzinga out of the open door and into the hallway once again. I had not left Matthew's side for the past week or so, and it felt awkward being anywhere other than his recovery room within the palace, "I'm happy that you were successful in finding him," she whispered, gently closing the door behind us.

I nodded once again, and then realizing that it didn't have to be my only response, whispered, "Thank you… Where will I be meeting the Queen?"

"In her chambers," she replied, still sounding genuinely kind and not her usual snotty self.

"Oh," I replied, my voice a timid whisper when compared to the loud booming voice of the Princess, "I never got the chance to thank you for guiding me to the Land of the Shaska-- for bringing me there in one piece."

"I think it was implied," she smiled, as the hallway ended, and we were in the Grand Ballroom once again.

I turned to her, not knowing the way, "Just follow me," she whispered in response to my wide eyes, and we entered the larger hallway, opened the seventh door on the right to reveal a long staircase, and we immediately began the ascent. I panted from lack of exercise as we continued-- well, not exactly _that-- _probably because of my condition… Eventually, the long plight of stairs ended, and we were in yet another hallway, "How many of these are there?" I asked, gesturing towards the hallway.

"On last count, seven hundred-- there might be more now. Mother can't seem to stop building for more than a decade or two."

"Oh… That's very-- urgh…"

"I know what you mean," we shared a long laugh, and then Nzinga pointed to one of the larger doors; its frame was decorated with gold and rubies-- I immediately realized that it _had _to be the Queen's bedroom, "Just knock two or three times, and she'll answer-- no doubt she's had a formal tea for the both of you."

She turned to leave, "Thanks again," I called, and she gave me a warm smile before disappearing halfway down the staircase again.

I stared at the door, and formed a fist.

After knocking four times in close succession, it opened to reveal REHtoMna on the other side, "Good afternoon," she whispered, ushering me inside, and gesturing towards a large chair on which I was expected to seat myself.

As I did so, she closed the door behind her, and joined me upon a similar seat that appeared out of nowhere beside me.

"Tea?" she whispered, gesturing towards a large tray laden with a steaming pot and many baked delicacies; I politely refused, and she herself took a small cup of tea and a few of the small cakes.

She sipped her tea, delicately; quite lady-like-- it all seemed like something out of a low-budget film dealing with the Renaissance. I felt like laughing at the spectacle, but refrained as it was REHtoMna; and I deeply loved the woman, "You have returned to my Kingdom," she whispered.

I nodded, as she paused tot take a sip of the hot tea, "You have returned here changed… As I knew you would. Before we discuss what happened to you in the Shaska world, I would like for you to tell me what you learned about yourself-- your destiny, when you found the second half of the prophecy."

I paused, having tried unsuccessfully for days to block the memories of my discovery out of my mind before I started to speak, "I learned that it is my daughter-- not I who must be burdened with overthrowing the shaska once and for all."

She lowered her eyes; her gaze became more intent, and she set down the white cup upon an equally white saucer, "So, _she _will be the final decider in all our futures?"

I nodded, "And I'm so frightened, REHtoMna. So very frightened. I fear that she will die-- that she will be unable to--"

She raised a single gloved hand to silence me, and I instantly opted to do so, "It is natural to be frightened, but these fears are not well-founded, Beatrice. If you raise her to be like you as she matures, she will never be in any mortal danger. Our people-- your people-- all the mortals in the universe depend on her to save them now."

I bit my lip in order to restrain the urge to begin screaming or crying again. I slowly nodded, and REHtoMna gingerly picked up her cup to sip again, "Now, tell me," she whispered, "after my daughter left you in Mrayzeppa-- The Land of the Shaska," she explained, after noticing my confused expression, "--what, exactly happened there?"

I opened my mouth, and in a few seconds, related the story to her with minor details; opting to leave out the parts when I had performed magic to kill Jacqueline, and when I had been reunited with my family and friends before their souls ascended to the afterlife. It was still strange and frightening to even _think _about-- let alone discussing it with the woman.

"I am not surprised that Jacqueline was resurrected-- I had my suspicions… I'm so sorry for deciding not to share them with you-- I didn't want to worry you, and neither did my sister."

"It's quite all right," I replied, "All that matters is that she's completely dead now, and won't be able to come back again-- will she?"

REHtoMna nodded, "But that does not mean that you and your daughter will not be exposed to equally powerful shaskas. After Jacqueline's death, a new leader will be appointed-- and he or she may be just as or more powerful than Jacqueline ever was."

The Queen and I shared a long silence that was at last broken by her as she spoke again, "Well, thank you for sharing with me all these truths, my child-- I know how difficult it was for you," she smiled.

"Wait," I whispered, "I have one more question-- about your daughter."

"What about her?" she asked.

"Well, she's a very nice person-- under the surface, of course-- it's just, why is it that she seems so cruel, and then there are small moments when she seems caring and kind towards others?"

REHtoMna sighed, and once again set down her tea, "Once-- a few decades before you were born-- she was married to a man-- a man of nobility from another world whom she loved deeply, but he was murdered, and she was left all alone on this world, so she transformed from a beautiful person to a hardened shell of what our kind represent. Her heart became icy, and her soul seemed to blacken, although she still remained deeply compassionate miles beneath the exterior."

I nodded.

"Beatrice, you must promise me-- whatever happens to you and your family in the future… Don't change. Don't succumb to a heart of ice. If you do, your daughter will become the same."

"I promise," I murmured.


	25. One Final Matter

_Chapter 25: One Final Matter_

Matthew was soon fully recovered, and although we both felt a strong urge to return home, we decided to remain in the Land of the Faerie until I gave birth to our daughter-- Elaine and REHtoMna arranged for the next nine months' rent to be paid on our apartment, so we didn't have to risk the chance of being evicted, and having to find another place to live.

I lay beside Matthew on the large bed we were now sharing; he had been moved from the hospital-wing bedroom to mine, so we slept beside each other in the night. We felt more whole than we had in weeks.

My pregnancy now fully accepted by myself as well as my husband, I reveled. The morning sickness still came every few days, but other than that, it was a pretty smooth transition from then on.

And though I was still haunted by everything I had experience in the presence of Jacqueline, I chose to attempt to forget until a later time when I could talk to someone about it. My heart ached over the spirits of my dead friends and family I had been able to set free. I longed for them to live again; although I knew it was utterly impossible for such a fantasy to become a reality-- even in worlds where magic was a reality.

I closed my eyes, and focused on Matthew's gentle snores to coax me into sleep…

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Many weeks passed, until I was reminded of something I had tried my best to forget, and was then forced to explain everything to Matthew; the Viscount, and his sexual advances and rape attempt. Matthew's eyes widened in surprise, and he swore that he'd kill "the no good son-of-a-bitch as soon as he saw him."

The Queen informed me that he had been spotted just outside the Kingdom; as she explained, he had disappeared after I had threatened him, and had not been seen since, but the faerie people were simply outraged by what he had attempted to commit, and he was wanted for several other counts of attempted and committed rape, as other girls had come forward with their stories.

After having finished her story, the Queen asked if I wanted to have a part in finding him, and bringing him to justice; immediately, I nodded my head as an indication of yes, and Matthew and I left to find the sick bastard the following morning.

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We arrived in a strange place just outside the Queen's Kingdom by means of a flying carriage-- and this time, she had been able to book a private one; a notion that caused me much relief, so that there wouldn't be any hushed whispers whenever I wasn't appearing to be listening.

Matthew held my hand as I stepped from out of the carriage, and into the bright sunshine; guiding me, and protecting me from slipping in the mud. He tipped the driver of the carriage handsomely, and as it was the custom, we boldly waved to him as the carriage zoomed away into the blue skies.

Then, he turned to me, asking "Are you ready for this?"

I nodded, "I want the bastard to pay for his crimes, Matthew-- of course I'm ready."

He nodded in response, squeezing my hand ever so gently, and we began to walk around the place in circles, "Where the hell was he spotted, exactly?" I asked.

"Somewhere around here," Matthew replied, and I shrugged my shoulders, unsure if he was actually still here.

And then, movement in the distance-- Matthew grips the small hunting dagger he has brought along tightly, and I nearly scream at the sight of the Viscount as he stumbles towards us. He is obviously still drunk-- _I wonder if he's been drinking all this time, _I thought, as he caught sight of us. He raised the flask to us, drained it, and then tossed it onto the muddy ground, "Back, my love?" he asked, obviously only seeing me through his crazy reddened eyes, "I've been waiting for the moment when I could have you for my own," he stumbled closer towards me, and I could already smell the stench of heavy alcohol on his breath; it was then that Matthew sprung into action; jumping towards the Viscount from beside me, and punching the man so hard in his stomach that he fell to the floor, and immediately passed out.

"Good job," I murmured.

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After making completely sure that the sick pig would not awaken for a long while, we returned to the palace via the traveling diamonds. REHtoMna greeted us in the Grand Ballroom, and had the Viscount jailed.

She smiled at us, and we went back upstairs, and slept for a few more hours, after the grueling days' work.

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Although I was informed that the trial would begin in a few days-- a week at the most, it was delayed for several months-- seven to be exact, and by the time it rolled around, I had outgrown all of my clothes, and had been forced to request maternal clothes to accustom my changing body.

My belly had rounded, and I was eagerly awaiting the day when I would give birth; I had been examined by doctors, and had been informed that as this was my ninth month of pregnancy, I would give birth any day now…

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The trial began, and I was asked to testify against the Viscount. I stood from my seat on the side, and tottered over towards the stand in the center, "Ms. Beatrice?" an ancient woman asked.

I nodded, surprised by the dull and flat tone of the woman's voice at what had been labeled as the "hottest trial of the century" by someone.

"How did you know the Viscount?" she asked.

"His aunt, the Queen REHtoMna had him escort me on my way to find my husband, Matthew," I replied, smoothly, having gone over my responses a million times before the night before, "he was constantly drunk, and attempted to have intercourse with me. I fled, not very amused by his advances, and he later caught up with me in the forest and tried rape _again. _I overpowered him, and told him to stay away from me if he knew what was good for him. He did, and if this court doesn't put him away, then I guess the legal system here is worse than those on earth."

The stiff lady nodded, alerting me to the fact that my part was over, so I immediately returned to my seat, then noticing the stifling heat of the courtroom. I was relieved that it was over; I had looked and felt like a fool in front of the hundreds of faerie who had decided to show up, as I was so far along in my pregnancy… But, I would do anything to put the sick fuck away-- his youngest rape victim had been a seven year old girl.

I stared coldly at the Viscount from across the room; life in prison _certainly _was not doing him any good; his once "perfect" dark hair had faded to a dull gray-- guess who'd been using dyeing potions for over a century? His teeth also looked like they were rotting out of his head, while his normal high from his overusing the bottle was a major no-no now, and it was safe to say that conjugal visits weren't allowed for a rapist and attempted murderer. I smiled, and wiped some sweat from off of my brow. I felt sick. I felt completely _different-- What's happening to me? _I wondered, wildly.

And then, _it _happened, just as the judge was reading the verdict; my water broke, just as the word "Guilty," was heard all throughout the courtroom, resulting in a strange combination of cheers and surprised gasps.

"She needs help!" someone screamed, and I was then led from out of the room to deliver my daughter into the world.


	26. Birth and Last Secrets

_Chapter 26: Birth and Last Secrets_

I screamed in pain, and pushed forcefully to get the child out of me, as nurses ran around the room, dabbing cool cloths upon my forehead, and as Matthew held my hand, "It's almost out," he whispered, "we're almost there."

I nodded, and with one final push, the screaming child was out of me, and was being attended to as I was given a medicinal potion that caused me to drift off into an empty sleep…

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When I awoke sometime the following day, I found that Elaine was now sitting in the rocking chair beside my bed as opposed to Matthew. She smiled, as my eyes opened, "I'm glad you have finally awoken," she whispered.

"Is she all right?" I asked, referring to my child.

Elaine nodded, "She's being taken care of by Matthew and the nurses as we speak."

I nodded, "Elaine, before I go back home, there are some things that I feel I must ask."

"Go ahead, love," she whispered.

I nodded, "Elaine, what exactly is this?" I asked, gesturing towards the stone around my neck which was now glowing.

"That stone was made from a small piece of oak-- and it was your mother's… It provides you with safety-- or a little bit more as long as you wear it-- but the magic will cease working for you upon your twenty-ninth year, and you will pass it on to your daughter…"

I nodded, "I expected something like that… Elaine, did my mother know about the prophecy?"

"Yes," Elaine whispered.

"Then why did she never tell me…?"

"She chose not to-- she was afraid for you, Beatrice. You must understand that she meant for the best."

I nodded, "But, I will not be the same-- my daughter will know who and what she is."

"A wise decision," Elaine murmured.

"One more question," I whispered, as my eyes began to close, "Why am I the prophesized one…? Why me, and why was I able to perform magic that day in the Land of the Shaska?"

"You are half-faerie, Beatrice, and so is Matthew, although when he first met you, he did not know this. That's why your daughter will be so powerful; she will be the last half-faerie ever in creation."

My eyes widened in surprise, "So, are you…?"

She nodded, "Yes, Beatrice. I am your grandmother on your mother's side. She was full faerie, but after fifteen years, she decided to live a mortal life on the earth, and never reveal herself to her husband-- or you."

Still processing the information, I nodded, and drifted off into sleep again…

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I woke up. I slept. I ate what was left beside me on the table, as my body continued to heal…

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I woke up one morning to find REHtoMna watching me, "Hello," she whispered.

"Hi," I murmured, still groggy, "Is she all right?"

REHtoMna nodded, "In a few days, we will release her into your care, and you and Matthew may return to the earth."

"Oh, that reminds me," I whispered, taking the two diamond necklaces from the spot I had placed them on the table, "these belong to you of course," I went to hand them to her, but REHtoMna shook her head, "No, you keep them. You'll be coming back every now and then to stay with us-- your daughter will need to be exposed at an early age to what's coming."

I nodded, and once again slept.


	27. Accepting the Truth

_Chapter 27: Accepting the Truth_

I held my still unnamed daughter close to me for the first time since her birth. She was a beautiful little girl with short dark-colored hair, and Matthew's twinkling ice-blue eyes, "My little girl," I whispered, gently rocking her, "My little girl…"

It was difficult, however. Knowing that she was already in so much danger, and had not yet even been able to experience the essence of life… I would be forced to deal with these feelings of uncertainty for the remainder of my life, unless and until something happened to change my perspective; she was the one, however… The last half-faerie that would ever be raised as a mortal, "My precious little girl…" I cooed, softly, and Matthew offered me a warm smile; he now knew everything. He knew the contents of the second half of the prophecy, but he was willing to try to maintain a normal upbringing for our daughter, although she would know from the start what role she had to play in the fates of all…

I loved her so much already, and my heart was filled with happiness at the thought of being able to watch her grow-- watch her taking her first steps, and watching her experience life… "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Matthew whispered.

I nodded, "She looks a lot like my mother-- she also looks a lot like you," I added, stroking her cheek, gently, as she sniffled and then sneezed, "Bless you, love," I whispered, and Matthew smiled again, "What shall we name you?" I asked her, as she gurgled, "What should we call you, huh?" I murmured, and Matthew immediately whispered the perfect name for our perfect daughter.


	28. Endings

_Chapter 28: Endings_

The following week, Matthew and I decided it was time to return to our home.

Elaine, REHtoMna, and Nzinga smiled and waved, as we disappeared from the Grand Ballroom, using the jade-green diamond necklaces, "Don't forget to keep in touch," Elaine whispered, as I nodded in response.

"Be careful," REHtoMna whispered.

"We will," I murmured, feeling like a child.

"Don't forget who you are, Beatrice-- never forget that," but I am unsure who has said this, for everything has already disappeared, and we are zooming through darkness, back to our apartment near the sea…

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Our apartment door came into view, and we landed-- if you can call it landing, right on our feet. I stared down at our daughter's face to make sure she was safe, and smiled when I saw that she was, "We're home, baby," Matthew whispered, and I handed him the key to open the door.

Seconds later, we were back inside, and I immediately freaked out, remembering that there really wasn't anything to accommodate for the arrival of our daughter, but then, we looked in our bedroom, and found that Elaine had sent along a crib, as well as several hundred dollar bills, "Thank you," I murmured, and we immediately tucked our child in, and slept for the rest of the night.

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My life had gone through a whirlwind of change, but I was made a better person for it.

Matthew and I were happier than ever, now that we had our daughter in our lives. The future was full of possibilities, but whatever it had in store for the three of us, we would try our best to be ready.


	29. Epilogue: 2018

Epilogue: 2018

Years passed by, and by the time I knew it, I was teaching elementary school, and our once infant daughter had grown to the tender age of seven, safe and well-protected, although she knew who she was, and that she had a great place in the world. Every now and then-- during summer, when school was out of course, we made the short journey back to The Land of the Faerie, and stayed there for the duration of our summer holidays.

And so, for the most part, my journey was over-- or at least just put on hold for now. Any way you looked at it, one thing was definitely certain; I no longer had a significant role to play in the battle between the shaska and the faerie…

I was twenty-nine now; only a couple months away from my thirtieth birthday-- the same age that my mother had been at the time of her young and untimely death. Twenty-nine years old. Twenty-nine, and I should have been dead on countless occasions before-- but I had survived each encounter with the darker forces that had been working to destroy me.

I had survived, as would my daughter. My mother had died young, but I had not-- and neither would my daughter-- _our _daughter; Matthew's and mine, I mean, for we were stronger together than apart.

Jacqueline was now gone forever. REHtoMna had promised me this; at least my daughter would be safe from her-- but not her memory-- nor her followers-- I was not safe either, but then again, nobody was. That was the way of the worlds.

The second half of the prophecy _had _named her as the final hope; she would be able to do what neither Matthew nor I could ever have done in our lifetimes; she would be able to rid the universe once and for all of the deadly shaska.

If the prophecy had indeed been correct, then the future generations of the world would be safe forever, and if not--

My mother had shielded me from the truth, but I would not do the same to my daughter. She was frightened, yes-- in her own way, but she still knew that she would be able to rid the many peoples of the world from the shaska.

From the moment she had been born, our daughter had known what she was; the final tie between the faerie people and the mortals on earth. I was not the strongest person in the world, nor the smartest, nor the bravest…

But I would teach her everything I knew…

And her name is Dianne.**

The End

**


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